Preparation of poly(lactic acid)/graphene oxide nanofiber membranes with different structures by electrospinning for drug delivery

Abstract

Nanofiber membranes display promising potential in biomedical fields, especially as scaffolds for drug delivery and tissue engineering. The structures and components of nanofibers play crucial roles in improving the mechanical properties and drug-releasing performance of nanofiber membranes. In this work, poly(lactic acid) (PLA)/graphene oxide (GO) nanofiber membranes with different structures (single-axial and co-axial structure) were prepared by electrospinning. The morphologies, structures, and mechanical properties of the as-prepared nanofiber membranes were characterized and compared. Furthermore, the drug-releasing performance of the as-prepared nanofiber membranes with different structures was evaluated by using an organic dye (Rhodamine B, RhB) as a drug model. Results show that the addition of GO not only significantly improved the thermal stability and mechanical properties of the PLA nanofiber membranes, but also promoted the cumulative release and release rate of RhB from nanofiber membranes. At the same GO concentration, the nanofiber membrane with the co-axial structure displayed a higher tensile strength and Young's modulus, but exhibited a lower cumulative release and release rate. The formation of the co-axial structure is beneficial in suppressing the initial burst release of RhB from nanofiber membranes.