Green Processing of a Cationic Polyelectrolyte Nanofibers in the Presence of Poly(vinyl alcohol)

ABSTRACT Aqueous electrospinning of polyelectrolyte polymers such as poly (diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDADMAC), which was not spinnable as such, was achieved by blending it with poly(vinyl alcohol) polymer. As the concentration of PDADMAC increased, the resulting blend solution was spinnable only after adjusting the solution behavior and electrospinning parameters. These nanofibers were cross-linked by heat treatment to make them water insoluble for applications. The average diameters of the nanofiber blends were reduced (118 ± 30 nm) when compared to PVA (151 ± 24 nm). These nanofibers could have potential applications in areas such as tissue regeneration scaffolds and controlled drug delivery.