Preparation and characterization of electrospun PHBV/PEO mats: The role of solvent and PEO component

Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV)/polyethylene oxide (PEO) mats were fabricated by electrospinning in different weight ratios (i.e., 100/0, 90/10, 80/20, 70/30, 60/40, 50/50, 0/100). In this paper, dichloromethane (DCM) has been used as potential solvent for electrospinning. In order to evaluate the influence of PEO and DCM on the final properties of PHBV mat, the following characterization techniques were employed: scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared attenuated total reflectance spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, and the test of mechanical properties, water contact angle, porosity analysis, swelling properties, water–vapor transmission rate (WVTR) and in vitro degradation behavior. All PHBV/PEO electrospun mats consist of randomly oriented and distinctly separated fibers. The average fiber diameters and the porosity were 738–1098 nm and 80–90 %, respectively. The water contact angle, swelling ratio, WVTR, and in vitro degradation behavior of PHBV/PEO electrospun mats were 124°–55°, 265–436 %, 1977–2610 g m−2 day−1, and 17–50 %, respectively. Besides, the crystallinity degree of PHBV/PEO electrospun mats has decreased with the increasing of PEO content. Therefore, PEO imparted PHBV/PEO electrospun mats on better properties, improving the nature defects of PHBV. In particular, PHBV/PEO 70/30 electrospun mat with optimizing performance, was considered the best candidate for potential scaffold in skin tissue engineering.