Water-insoluble thin films from palmitoyl hyaluronan with tunable properties

•We developed water-insoluble thin films from palmitoyl hyaluronan (pHA).•Insolubility by improved pHA synthesis: higher substitution degrees now possible.•Film behavior can be tuned by using pHA with suitable MW and substitution degree.•In vitro experiments: pHA films are non-cytotoxic and show no adhesion of cells.•Results suggest that pHA films are promising materials for biomedical applications. Hyaluronan (HA) films exhibit properties suitable for various biomedical applications, but the solubility of HA limits their use in aqueous environments. Therefore, we developed water insoluble films based on palmitoyl esters of HA (pHA). Films were prepared from pHA samples with various degrees of substitution (DS) and molecular weights and their mechanical properties and swelling were characterized. Additionally, scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy were used for visualization. Despite being prepared by solution casting, the films had a very smooth surface and were homogeneous in thickness. The film properties were in accordance with the polymer DS and molecular weight, enabling to tailor them for future applications by choosing a suitable pHA material. The behavior of the films toward cells was assessed in vitro. All films were non-cytotoxic and showed no adhesion of cells. These results show that the developed films are suitable candidates for various biomedical applications such as tissue engineering or wound healing.