Homogeneous Nanofibers Research Articles

Fabrication of pristine electrospun kafirin nanofiber mats loaded with thymol and carvacrol

In this project, we fabricated electrospun nanofiber mats from pristine kafirin, the storage protein of sorghum, for the first time which have the potential to be used as eco-friendly food packaging materials. The first novel step was kafirin extraction which showed that the purity of kafirin was higher in double-purification compared to single-purification, which led to high quality nanosized round, straight, unbroken and unentangled fibers. The electrospinning results indicate that binary solvent, 75% (v/v) acetic acid (AcOH) and 25% (v/v) butanol (BuOH) mixture, allows fabrication of homogenous nanofiber mats at 0.4 g/ml kafirin-to-solvent ratio, which is critical for to obtain good mechanical strength for the mats. Encapsulation of thymol and carvacrol was successful when the loading concentrations were 0.1 g/ml and 0.1–0.2 g/ml, for thymol and carvacrol, respectively. Loading of the fibers with the bioactives was confirmed with FTIR where the characteristic peaks for the bioactives appeared at 950 cm−1, 1150 cm−1, 1200 cm−1 and 1250 cm−1. Thymol or carvacrol encapsulation led to the conversion of some of the β-turn structures of kafirin into β-sheet structures. Surface hydrophilicity of loaded kafirin fiber mats decreased with increasing carvacrol concentration and increased with increasing thymol concentration.

A novel automatic classification system based on hybrid unsupervised and supervised machine learning for electrospun nanofibers

The manufacturing of nanomaterials by the electrospinning process requires accurate and meticulous inspection of related scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of the electrospun nanofiber, to ensure that no structural defects are produced. The presence of anomalies prevents practical application of the electrospun nanofibrous material in nanotechnology. Hence, the automatic monitoring and quality control of nanomaterials is a relevant challenge in the context of Industry 4.0. In this paper, a novel automatic classification system for homogenous (anomaly-free) and non-homogenous (with defects) nanofibers is proposed. The inspection procedure aims at avoiding direct processing of the redundant full SEM image. Specifically, the image to be analyzed is first partitioned into subimages (nanopatches) that are then used as input to a hybrid unsupervised and supervised machine learning system. In the first step, an autoencoder (AE) is trained with unsupervised learning to generate a code representing the input image with a vector of relevant features. Next, a multilayer perceptron (MLP), trained with supervised learning, uses the extracted features to classify non-homogenous nanofiber (NH-NF) and homogenous nanofiber (H-NF) patches. The resulting novel AE-MLP system is shown to outperform other standard machine learning models and other recent state-of-the-art techniques, reporting accuracy rate up to 92.5%. In addition, the proposed approach leads to model complexity reduction with respect to other deep learning strategies such as convolutional neural networks (CNN). The encouraging performance achieved in this benchmark study can stimulate the application of the proposed scheme in other challenging industrial manufacturing tasks.

Enhancing triboelectric performances of electrospun poly(vinylidene fluoride) with graphene oxide sheets

Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) is an easy processable and electroactive polymer, widely investigated for the preparation of electrospun membranes for triboelectric nanogenerators (TENG). The presence of graphene oxide (GO) fillers into the PVDF nanofibers, used as electroactive membranes in TENGs, has been reported to improve their performances as GO can act as charge trapping site. Nevertheless, the addition of GO also affects the dielectric and rheological properties of the spinning dispersions and the role of such parameters on the nanofiber morphology has not been clarified yet. In this work, we investigated the effect of GO on the electrospinning process of PVDF–GO dispersions. In particular, we found that the addition of GO in PVDF solutions modifies their rheological properties by increasing their viscosity and enhancing their shear thinning behavior. Consequently, compared to the PVDF solution, the electrospinning process of PVDF–GO composite solutions results in more homogenous and thinner nanofibers. Both PVDF and PVDF–GO nanofibers showed a similar fraction of electroactive PVDF β-phase, which was higher than 80%. This demonstrates that the relative content of β-phase is not the main responsible for the observed improvement in TENG performances. Therefore, besides acting as a charge trapping site, the presence of GO also shrinks the PVDF–GO fibers diameter, resulting in an electrospun membrane with increased specific surface area compared to the PVDF counterpart.

Polyacrylonitrile Nanofiber Optimization as Precursor of Carbon Nanofibers for Supercapacitors

Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers are one of the primary precursors in the production of carbon nanofibers. The nanofiber morphology is significantly affected by the process parameters such as polymer concentration, distance, applied voltage and feed rate during the production of PAN nanofibers obtained by the solution-based electrospinning method, and these parameters should be optimized properly. In this study, firstly PAN nanofiber production parameters were optimized, and then homogeneous and thin PAN nanofibers produced in optimum conditions were used as the precursor in the production of carbon nanofibers. PAN nanofibers with a diameter of 233 nm were obtained at 7.5% PAN concentration in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), 28 kV applied voltage, 17.5 cm nozzle to collector distance, 2 ml/h feed rate and 500 rpm rotation speed of the aluminum drum. The carbon nanofiber diameters produced after the stabilization and carbonization processes were measured as 200 and 140 nm, respectively. The morphological, chemical and thermal properties of the produced nanofibers were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA). Carbon nanofibers, which are made from optimized electrospun PAN nanofibers, can be used to construct supercapacitors in future studies.

Engineering and evaluation of forcespun functionalized carbon nano-onions reinforced poly (ε-caprolactone) composite nanofibers for pH-responsive drug release.

Nanofibers and smart polymers are potentially fascinating biomaterials for the sustained release of therapeutic agents and tissue engineering applications. The current study describes a new class of pH-controlled polycaprolactone/mercaptophenyl methacrylate functionalized carbon nano-onions (PCL/f-CNOs) composite nanofibers by Forcespinning® (FS) with a sustained drug release profile. The morphology and structural characteristics of PCL/f-CNOs nanofibers were scrutinized by Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), respectively. The morphological results revealed that FS provided homogeneous and bead free nanofibers with average diameters from approximately 215nm to 596nm. PCL/f-CNOs composite fibers exhibited pH-responsive release of DOX over 15days; pH6.5 showed 87%, and pH5.0 presented around 99% of DOX release. Drug release measurements showed that the π-π stacking interactions between DOX and f-CNOs have led to a controlled DOX release from forcespun PCL/f-CNOs fibers. Owing to the f-CNOs amalgamation, PCL/f-CNOs fibers unveiled enhanced tensile strength (3.16MPa) as compared to pristine PCL fibers. It reveals the magnitude of colloidal stability and physisorption of f-CNOs within the PCL matrix. Besides, the in-vitro cell viability was measured with human fibroblast cells, and good viability was observed. Nevertheless, DOX embedded pH-responsive PCL/f-CNOs composite nanofibers may show potential applications in the biomedical research area.

Nylon-6/chitosan core/shell antimicrobial nanofibers for the prevention of mesh-associated surgical site infection

The state-of-the-art hernia meshes, used in hospitals for hernia repair, are predominantly polymeric textile-based constructs that present high mechanical strength, but lack antimicrobial properties. Consequently, preventing bacterial colonization of implanted prosthetic meshes is of major clinical relevance for patients undergoing hernia repair. In this study, the co-axial electrospinning technique was investigated for the development of a novel mechanically stable structure incorporating dual drug release antimicrobial action. Core/shell structured nanofibers were developed, consisting of Nylon-6 in the core, to provide the appropriate mechanical stability, and Chitosan/Polyethylene oxide in the shell to provide bacteriostatic action. The core/shell structure consisted of a binary antimicrobial system incorporating 5-chloro-8-quinolinol in the chitosan shell, with the sustained release of Poly(hexanide) from the Nylon-6 core of the fibers. Homogeneous nanofibers with a "beads-in-fiber" architecture were observed by TEM, and validated by FTIR and XPS. The composite nanofibrous meshes significantly advance the stress–strain responses in comparison to the counterpart single-polymer electrospun meshes. The antimicrobial effectiveness was evaluated in vitro against two of the most commonly occurring pathogenic bacteria; S. aureus and P. aeruginosa, in surgical site infections. This study illustrates how the tailoring of core/shell nanofibers can be of interest for the development of active antimicrobial surfaces.

Chitosan-based electrospun membranes: Effects of solution viscosity, coagulant and crosslinker

Chitosan-based membranes were prepared via electrospinning technique using a low concentrated acetic acid solution as solvent and poly(ethylene oxide) as co-spinning agent. Different solutions were rheologically characterized and increasing the solution viscosity was found to correspond to a better-defined morphology. The membranes were first subjected to a coagulation process with different baths in order to stabilize chitosan and the mats were found not able to withstand a strongly basic environment. Subsequently, a physical and a chemical crosslinking approach were separately optimized to obtain stable mats whose composition was assessed via thermogravimetric and spectroscopic techniques, proving in both cases the elimination of the co-spinning agent. Above all, the ionically crosslinked mats represent a class of extremely promising biomedical products being probably highly biocompatible and characterized by thin and homogenous nanofibers with a diameter of 200 nm, thus showing the ideal structure to foster cell viability.

Development of poly (mannitol sebacate)/poly (lactic acid) nanofibrous scaffolds with potential applications in tissue engineering.

Developing a biomimetic substrate with intrinsic potential for cell attachment and growth has always been a tissue engineering challenge. In the present research, we successfully fabricated PMS:PLA nanofibrous scaffolds for the first time using electrospinning process by adjusting blending ratios, feed rates and polymer concentrations. A desirable composition was found when homogenous nanofibers with an average fiber diameter of 235 ± 38 nm were achieved at 10% w/v for PMS:PLA 60:40. The scaffolds were then characterized for their microstructure, mechanical strength and elasticity, degradation rate, porosity, wettability and cell/tissue compatibility. Mechanical analysis and degradation behavior of PMS:PLA nanofibrous scaffolds revealed appropriate elasticity, stiffness and strength, as well as degradation rate appropriate for soft tissues. Nitrogen adsorption-desorption analysis discovered that mesoporous nanofibers with enhanced specific surface area were fabricated. Further in vitro and in vivo biocompatibility evaluations revealed enhanced cytocompatibility, proliferation and tissue responses of PMS:PLA nanofibrous scaffolds with desirable cell-scaffold interactions. Moreover, PMS:PLA nanofibrous scaffolds exhibited negligible inflammatory responses with significantly thinner fibrotic capsule formation and minor infiltration of inflammatory cells compared to PLA nanofibers. These findings suggest that PMS/PLA nanofibrous scaffolds could be introduced as potential candidates with improved properties for soft tissue engineering applications.

Water-based synthesis of photocrosslinked hyaluronic acid/polyvinyl alcohol membranes via electrospinning.

Electrospinning is a versatile and low-cost technique widely used in the manufacture of nanofibrous polymeric membranes applied in different areas, especially in bioengineering. Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a biocompatible natural polymer, but it has rheological characteristics that make the electrospinning process difficult. Thus, its association with another polymer such as poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) is an alternative, as PVA has good rheological properties for electrospinning. Based on this, the aim of this work was to produce, by the conventional electrospinning method, cross-linked HA/PVA membranes free from organic solvent with a low degradation rate in PBS 7.4 solution after the photocrosslinking process and without using any organic solvent. The results showed that the electrospinning occurred effectively for all conditions tested, but the best result for complete cross-linking only occurred with 15 and 30% crosslinker, which was evidenced by infrared spectroscopy. The addition of crosslinker favored the stability of the electrospinning jet, especially for 30% crosslinker concentration. The membranes did not show cytotoxicity even after the cross-linking process, which indicates that the material has potential as a drug delivery device.

In Vitro Characterization of Multilamellar Fibers with Uniaxially Oriented Electrospun Type I Collagen Scaffolds

Fabrication of an appropriate scaffold is critical in order to recapitulate the architecture and functionality of the native tissue. In this study, we attempted to create favorable collagen fiber alignment and multilamellar with uniaxially oriented layers, using a disc collector by turning mats 90 degrees horizontally at specific times. Different concentrations of rat tail‐derived type I collagen (3, 6, 8% w/v) in 1,1,1,3,3,3‐hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP) are used for electrospinning affairs. The 6% w/v collagen at an applied voltage of 20 kV and collector rotation of 2500 rpm was selected to exhibit bead‐free homogeneous nanofiber with fiber thickness of 0.14 ± 0.4 µm, maximum thickness of 0.5 ± 0.08 µm, and 60% porosity. Also, scanning electron microscope images of electrospun fibers showed 3D multilamellar scaffold with the goodness of 96.5% ± 0.8 in each aligned uniaxially oriented fiber layer. Cross‐linking of collagen fibers with N‐(3‐dimethylaminopropyl)‐N0‐ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC)/N‐hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) reduced the fiber degradation rate and preserved the fiber morphology and alignment. The multilamellar mat showed significant increase in tensile strength and average breaking elongation in comparison with unilamellar mat. In vitro cell culture, using human adipose tissue‐derived mesenchymal stem cells (hAT‐MSCs) on cross‐linked scaffold, showed improvement in cell proliferation, attachment, migration, and intercellular junction with a flattened morphology. Raman spectra revealed the preservation of collagen structure. In addition, Raman spectra of the cell containing scaffold were the same as those of an intact intervertebral disc as a sample to be used in engineering tissues. In conclusion, our results showed that the 3D multilamellar collagen nanofibrous scaffold is more appropriate for the tissues that have multilamellar structure.

Alginate-Based Electrospun Membranes Containing ZnO Nanoparticles as Potential Wound Healing Patches: Biological, Mechanical, and Physicochemical Characterization.

In the present work, alginate-based mats with and without ZnO nanoparticles were prepared via an electrospinning technique and subjected to a washing-cross-linking process to obtain highly stable products characterized by thin and homogeneous nanofibers with a diameter of 100 ± 30 nm. Using a commercial collagen product as control, the biological response of the prepared mats was carefully evaluated with particular attention paid to the influence of the used cross-linking agent (Ca2+, Sr2+, or Ba2+ ions) and to the presence of nanofillers. Fibroblast and keratinocyte cultures successfully proved the safety of the prepared alginate-based mats, whereas ZnO nanoparticles were found to provide strong antibacteriostatic and antibacterial properties; above all, the strontium- and barium-cross-linked samples showed performances in terms of cell adhesion and growth very similar to those of the commercial collagen membrane despite them showing a significantly lower protein adsorption. Moreover, the mechanical and water-related properties of the strontium-cross-linked mats embedding ZnO nanoparticles were proven to be similar to those of human skin (i.e., Young modulus of 470 MPa and water vapor permeability of 3.8 × 10-12 g/m Pa s), thus proving the ability of the prepared mats to be able to endure considerable stress, maintaining at the same time the fundamental ability to remove exudates. Taking into account the obtained results, the proposed alginate-based products could lead to harmless and affordable surgical patches and wound dressing membranes with a simpler and safer production procedure than the commonly employed animal collagen-derived systems.

Core-sheath gelatin based electrospun nanofibers for dual delivery release of biomolecules and therapeutics.

Coaxial electrospinning with the ability to use simultaneously two separate solvents provides a promising strategy for drug delivery. Nevertheless, controlled release of hydrophilic and sensitive therapeutics from slow biodegradable polymers is still challenging. To address this gap, we fabricated core-sheath fibers for dual delivery of lysozyme, as a model protein, and phenytoin sodium as a small therapeutic molecule. The sheath was processed by a gelatin solution while the core fibers were fabricated from an aqueous gelatin/PVA solution. Microstructural studies by transmission and scanning electron microscopy reveal the formation of homogeneous core-sheath nanofibers with an outer and inner diameter of 180±48nm and 106±30nm, respectively. Thermal gravimetric analysis determines that the mass loss of the core-sheath fibers fall between the mass loss values of individual sheath and core fibers. Swelling studies indicate higher water absorption of the core-sheath mat compared to the separate sheath and core membranes. In vitro drug release studies in Phosphate Buffered Saline (PBS) determine sustained release of the therapeutics from the core-sheath structure. The release trails three stages including non-Fickian diffusion at the early stage followed by the Fickian diffusion mechanism. The present study shows a useful approach to design core-sheath nanofibrous membranes with controlled and programmable drug release profiles.

Feasibility of ramie fibers as raw material for the isolation of nanofibrillated cellulose

In this study, a strategy was adopted to enhance the use of ramie fibers as raw material for isolation of cellulose nanofibers (CNFs). Ramie pulp was produced by alkaline organosolv followed by bleaching. CNFs were produced by mechanical defibrillation, and films were fabricated via casting. Effects of number of passes in the mechanical grinding on physical and mechanical properties of CNF films were comprehensively studied. Potential of ramie fibers was proved by fabricating homogeneous nanofibers with average thickness of 8.72 nm, which led to CNF films with dense and non-porous networks, and crystallinity index of 76–78%. Tensile strength (42−82 MPa) and dynamic mechanical (9−11 GPa) performance were good only for less severe mechanical defibrillation. Lower solubility (1.85–2.43%). and activity (0.69) in water, and outstanding barrier properties against water vapor and oxygen make ramie suitable for more sustainable extraction of cellulose nanofibers and production of CNF films for diverse applications.

Preparation of composite alginate-based electrospun membranes loaded with ZnO nanoparticles

In the present work alginate-based nanofibrous membranes embedding zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) were prepared via electrospinning technique. ZnO-NPs were synthesized by means of a “green” sol-gel method by using alginate itself as stabilizing agent and characterized through UV–vis spectroscopy, thermogravimetric and morphological analysis. Formulations containing sodium alginate, poly(ethylene oxide) and ZnO-NPs were rheologically studied to identify the most suitable ones to be electrospun; alginate molecular structure played an important role on the solution spinnability due to the polysaccharide capability to establish electrostatic interactions and hydrogen bonds with ZnO-NPs. An innovative washing-crosslinking protocol was developed to obtain stable products which composition was assessed using Fourier Transform InfraRed spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. Morphological investigation combined with EDX spectroscopy proved the obtained mats were highly porous and composed by thin homogenous nanofibers with a good distribution of the used nanofillers, thus representing potential products for several purposes (e.g. biomedical, pharmaceutical and environmental applications).

Improved formaldehyde gas sensing properties of well-controlled Au nanoparticle-decorated In2O3 nanofibers integrated on low power MEMS platform

Approaches for the fabrication of a low power-operable formaldehyde (HCHO) gas sensor with high sensitivity and selectivity were performed by the utilization of an effective micro-structured platform with a micro-heater to reach high temperature with low heating power as well as by the integration of indium oxide (In2O3) nanofibers decorated with well-dispersed Au nanoparticles as a sensing material. Homogeneous In2O3 nanofibers with the large specific surface area were prepared by the electrospinning following by calcination process. Au nanoparticles with the well-controlled size as a catalyst were synthesized on the surface of In2O3 nanofibers. The Au-decorated In2O3 nanofibers were reliably integrated as sensing materials on the bridge-type micro-platform including micro-heaters and micro-electrodes. The micro-platform designed to maintain high temperature with low power consumption was fabricated by a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) technique. The micro-platform gas sensor consisting with Au-In2O3 nanofibers were fabricated effectively to detect HCHO gases with high sensitivity and selectivity. The HCHO gas sensing behaviors were schematically studied as a function of the gas concentration, the size of the adsorbed Au nanoparticles, the applied power to raise the temperature of a sensing part and the kind of target gases.

Fabrication of Curcumin-loaded Gliadin Electrospun Nanofibrous Structures and Bioactive Properties

In this work, the feasibility and potential of food-grade gliadin nanofiber as a delivery vehicle for curcumin were investigated. By optimizing the electrospinning parameters, homogeneous and fine gliadin nanofibers containing different amounts of curcumin were fabricated. It was observed that gliadin micro-nanoparticles were gradually transformed to gliadin nanofibers and thicker nanofibers were obtained with the increment of the gliadin concentration. The electrospun nanofibers were characterized in terms of morphological, molecular, thermal and crystallographic properties. Nanofibers were nearly uniform with smooth surface characteristics and their average diameter ranged between 258 to 375 nm. Encapsulation efficiency of gliadin nanofibers increased with the increment of curcumin loading, which was also confirmed by X-ray diffraction patterns revealing that the most part of curcumin could be encapsulated in gliadin nanofibers. In vitro assessments of nanofibers indicated that the curcumin-loaded gliadin nanofibers showed a controlled release of curcumin and protected its free radical scavenging ability. In addition, these nanofibers showed important levels of antibacterial activities against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Furthermore, the encapsulation of curcumin within nanofibers conspicuously enhanced the antioxidant and antibacterial activities of curcumin within these nanofibers. The results suggested that the gliadin nanofiber could be an available carrier for the delivery of curcumin and has the potential for applications in the food industry and other bioactive delivery systems.

Effect of Wet Spinning and Stretching to Enhance Mechanical Properties of Cellulose Nanofiber Filament

Long filament made with nanocellulose has been researched due to its eminent mechanical and physical properties for next generation of natural fiber reinforced polymer composites. Wet spinning process for long filament fabrication in conjunction with stretching method has advantages of high efficiency and low-cost. To fabricate homogeneous and strong cellulose nanofiber filament, this paper experimentally investigates the process parameters, including spinning speed, pre-dry temperature and inner diameter of needle. In addition to the spinning process, a mechanical stretching process is taken into account to further improve the mechanical properties of the cellulose nanofiber filament. The effects of wet spinning and stretching are evaluated by using scanning electron microscope, tensile test and 2D wide angle X-ray diffraction. As a result, the stretched cellulose nanofiber filament exhibits its Young’s modulus of 37.5 GPa and tensile strength of 543.1 MPa, which are significantly improved from the previous reports. All about the fabrication process, characterization and evaluation of the cellulose nanofiber filaments are illustrated.

Nanostructured poly(lactic acid)/soy protein/HPMC films by electrospinning for potential applications in food industry

As an alternative to oil based materials, there is a demand for easily degradable packaging materials. With this regard, the objective of this study is to produce bilayer nanofiber sheets composed of Poly (lactic acid) (PLA) and soy protein, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) and combination of them by using electrospinning. In addition, it was aimed to analyze morphological, optical, thermal properties of films and investigate permeability characteristics. Homogenous nanofibers were successfully collected onto PLA sheets. The solution containing HPMC had the highest viscosity and the lowest electrical conductivity values. Therefore, HPMC based nanofibers had the highest the average diameter values. Combining nanofibers with PLA sheets decreased transparency as compared to the transparency of neat PLA, it also did not improve permeability values. When the thermal properties of PLA/nanofibers were examined it was observed that while PLA sheet showed one stage degradation, bilayer films had two stage degradation. Soy protein containing nanofibers showed higher thermal stability. The FTIR spectrum of PLA/nanofiber sheets displayed the chemical characteristics of both PLA and nanofibers. PLA/nanofiber sheets obtained by electrospinning can be suggested in packaging of light sensitive foods.

Developed greener method based on MW implementation in manufacturing CNFs

This study comes as the first trial that uses microwave (MW) in combination with assisted chemical vapour deposition (CVD) to generate homogeneous carbon nanofibers (CNFs) at short period thermal reaction. The outcomes confirmed that these materials are of highly-ordered pyrolitic graphite nature. CNFs were obtained having uniform diameters (80-150 nm) and long fibres (0.82-1.75 μm). SEM and TEM evaluations revealed relatively less damage in fractured surfaces and the TGA exhibited insignificant change of CNFs during thermal decomposition. The 'solid' CNFs showed clear properties as disorder, crystalline, and bent graphitic sheets. The as-prepared CNTs demonstrated good MW-absorption properties with superior performance which could be due to the combination of the dielectric-type absorption and the interference of multi-reflected MW. This enhancement gave 97% purity of the novel manufactured CNFs. Therefore, we recommend our greener nanoproducts for industries as energy, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, textile, sensors, electronics, vehicles, and both of quantum dots (QD) and fluorescent C-dots.

Development and evaluation of antibacterial electrospun pea protein isolate-polyvinyl alcohol nanocomposite mats incorporated with cinnamaldehyde

Electrospun film is developed from an electrically charged ultrafine jet of a polymer solution or melt as a matrix of thin/nano fibers struck on to a target surface. The objective of this work was to obtain homogeneous nanofibers from pea protein isolate (PPI) in polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) by hybrid electrospinning as well as incorporating cinnamaldehyde (CA) into the matrix to obtain an antibacterial mat. The effect of processing conditions, pH, polymer and CA concentrations on formulation properties and nanofiber morphology were investigated and the mats were visualized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Rheological evaluation indicated a pseudoplastic behavior for all formulations. Alkaline pH formulation led to a decreasing apparent viscosity and an increasing electrical conductivity resulting in the formation of more homogeneous fibers. The 50:50 mass percentage ratio of PPI/PVA solutions produced homogeneous nanofibers with the average fiber diameter of 485 ± 85 nm. FTIR spectroscopy confirmed uniform dispersion of PPI and PVA. The minimum concentration of CA to inhibit both Gram negative and Gram positive bacteria was 1%. The average diameter of nanofibers decreased from 257 ± 51 nm to 219 ± 31 nm by increasing CA content from 0.25 to 1.5%.