Effect of hydrophilic co-electrospinning agents on the structure and morphology of hydrophobic natural zein-based nanofibers

As a hydrophobic natural protein, zein has attracted extensive attention because of its versatility and excellent biodegradability. However, neat zein exhibits poor spinnability during electrospinning. To fabricate zein-based nanofibers, different hydrophilic co-spinning agents (collagen (Co), gelatin (GE) and polyethylene oxide (PEO)) were incorporated and optimized electrospinning parameter (voltage) for each additive was reported. The relationship between the performance of spinning solution as well as the spinnability and microstructure of zein nanofabrics was analyzed in detail. Co-spinning could improve the spinning ability of zein. The morphology of nanofibers was improved to varying degrees by adjusting the content of co-electrospinning agents and adjusting process parameters. The viscosity, conductivity and the pH value of the spinning solution with different co-spinning agents were analyzed. PEO exhibited a more dramatically effect on improving the spinning ability of zein. The zein-based film had a uniform and complete structure and certain hydrophobicity, and exhibited wide application prospects.