Chitosan-incorporated poly(hydroxybutyrate) porous electrospun scaffold for potential biomedical applications

Herein, we report the fabrication of bio-based poly(hydroxybutyrate) (PHB)/chitosan blend electrospun fibers followed by surface chemical and structural analyses. The native PHB, having low functional moieties, expresses a hydrophobic trend. It is not strong enough to be natively electrospun, so there need some reinforcing agents—like chitosan—for the fabrication of electrospun scaffolds. Once prepared, the resultant electrospun fibers can be characterized using advanced analytical techniques. The electrospinning conditions pursued, in this study are a voltage of 27 kV, a needle’s tip-to-collector distance of 150 mm and a flow rate of 300 µL/h. The electron microscopy results express the successful formation of beads-free electrospun fibers of uniform diameter. Infrared spectroscopy indicates intramolecular interactions among the congeners in the multicomponent electrospun fibers. The PHB inclusion enhances the crystallinity in the PVA-based template and makes it somehow hydrophobic with slightly decreased tensile strength and elongation at the break. Such PHB/chitosan-based electrospun antibacterial fibrous scaffolds may find suitable uses in membrane and filtration technologies for environmental and biomedical sectors.