Design and characterization of PNVCL‐based nanofibers and evaluation of their potential applications as scaffolds for surface drug delivery of hydrophobic drugs

ABSTRACT In this work, nanofiber scaffolds for surface drug delivery applications were obtained by electrospinning poly(N‐vinylcaprolactam) (PNVCL) and its blends with poly(ε‐caprolactone) and poly(N‐vinylcaprolactam)‐b‐poly(ε‐caprolactone). The process parameters to obtain smooth and beadless PNVCL fibers were optimized. The average fibers diameter was less than 1 μm, and it was determined by scanning electron microscopy analyses. Their affinity toward water was evaluated by measuring the contact angle with water. The ketoprofen release behavior from the fibers was analyzed using independent and model‐dependent approaches. The low values of the release exponent (n