Three-component antibacterial membrane of poly(butylene carbonate), poly(lactic acid) and chitosan prepared by electrospinning

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe poly(butylene carbonate) (PBC)/poly(lactic acid) (PLA)/chitosan (CS) blend nanofibre membranes have been prepared by electrospinning. Trifluoroacetic acid was found to be the best co-solvent for PBC/PLA/CS blend. The nanofibre microstructure was studied by scanning electron microscopy and showed good fibre diameter distribution when CS content was 0.08%. As the content of CS increases, the diameter of the fibres became finer. Fourier transform infrared spectrometer shows that there was no chemical reaction between the PBC and PLA, and CS was successfully added to the PBC/PLA. Thermogravimetry analysis indicates that the addition of CS can improve the thermal stability of the PBC/PLA membrane. The PBC/PLA/CS membranes exhibit good improvements in mechanical property. The tensile strength of nanofibres increases with the addition of 0.04% CS but reduces with further addition of 0.12% g CS. The PBC/PLA/CS membranes also have an excellent hydrophilic property. As the amount of CS increases, the contact angle gradually decreases. The PBC/PLA/CS membranes showed high antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus in vitro test.