Fabrication of PCL/sepiolite composite nanofibers

Abstract

In this study, it was aimed to produce and characterize PCL-based composite nanofibrous material containing various concentrations of sepiolite (SEP). The PCL polymer concentration was kept constant at 10 wt% in consideration. Sepiolite was added to the PCL solution at concentrations of 0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5 wt % respectively. Firstly, the properties of the prepared solutions such as viscosity, surface tension and conductivity were determined. The results of the solution properties indicated that the addition of SEP resulted in an increase in the viscosity, conductivity, and surface tension values of the solutions. Then, the nanofiber production was carried out via electrospinning method. Subsequently, the nanofibers were characterized morphologically by the SEMEDS analysis. The results of the analysis demonstrated that all nanofibers exhibited smooth, bead-free, and uniform structures. Additionally, the fiber diameter was observed to decrease as the SEP concentration increased. The EDS analysis revealed the presence of magnesium (Mg) and silicon (Si) in nanofibers containing SEP. Considering the excellent features of sepiolit such as being biocompatible and non-toxic along with those of nanofibers, it is thought that the nanofibrous material produced can be used in medical applications such as wound dressing, medicine, bone regeneration.