Modern Dressings for Wound Healing

Aim: Wound healing is a complex process with many potential factors that can delay healing

Interfacial rheology: An overview of measuring techniques and its role in dispersions and electrospinning

Interfacial rheological properties have yet to be thoroughly explored. Only recently, methods have been introduced that provide sufficient sensitivity to reliably determine viscoelastic interfacial properties. In general, interfacial rheology describes the relationship between the deformation of an interface and the stresses exerted on it. Due to the variety in deformations of the interfacial layer (shear and expansions or compressions), the field of interfacial rheology is divided into the subcategories of shear and dilatational rheology. While shear rheology is primarily linked to the long-term stability of dispersions, dilatational rheology provides information regarding short-term stability. Interfacial rheological characteristics become relevant in systems with large interfacial areas, such as emulsions and foams, and in processes that lead to a large increase in the interfacial area such as electrospinning of nanofibers.Medfazne reološke lastnosti so še dokaj neraziskane. Šele pred kratkim so razvili metode, s katerimi je mogoče z zadostno občutljivostjo in natančnostjo določiti viskoelastične lastnosti medfaze. Medfazna reologija opisuje odnos med deformacijo medfaze in silo, ki to deformacijo povzroči. Zaradi različnih deformacij medfazne plasti (strig in raztezanje, oziroma krčenje) se tudi medfazna reologija deli na strižno in dilatacijsko. Strižne reološke lastnosti medfaze se odražajo v dolgotrajni stabilnosti disperzij, medtem ko sedilatacijske predvsem v kratkotrajni stabilnosti. Poznavanje medfaznih reoloških lastnosti je pomembno v sistemih z velikimi medfaznimi površinami, kot so emulzije in pene ter pri procesih, kjer pride do velikega povečanja medfazne površine, kot je elektrostatsko sukanje nanovlaken

Electrospun poly lactic acid (PLA) fibres: Effect of different solvent systems on fibre morphology and diameter

This paper was accepted for publication in the journal, Polymer [© Elsevier Ltd]. The definitive version is available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.polymer.2014.06.032The selection of an appropriate non-hazardous solvent or solvent system is essential to determine the rheological properties and electrospinnability of the solution, the productivity, and the morphology of nanofibres. In this study, poly lactic acid (PLA) solutions were prepared in various pure solvents and binary-solvent systems to investigate the effect of different solution properties on nanofibre morphology and diameter. Viscosity, conductivity and surface tension of each solution were measured. Nanofibre morphology was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Of all the solvent systems used acetone/dimethylformamide gave the highest fibre productivity and finest defect-free nanofibres. Therefore this solvent system was studied in more detail, varying the solvent ratio. Also the polymer concentration in this solvent system was varied to investigate the effect on nanofibre morphology and solution properties. Morphological investigations were done in correlation with rheological measurements: beaded nanofibrous structures were collected from solutions with concentration around the critical chain entanglement concentration (Ce), while defect-free nanofibres were produced when the concentration was increased to about twice the entanglement concentration. Further investigation of the effect of the PLA concentration on the elastic (G′) and the plastic (G″) moduli showed a sudden increase of the elastic moduli (G′) at the critical chain entanglement concentration. The results showed that the solvent properties, boiling point, viscosity, conductivity and surface tension, have a significant effect on process productivity, morphology and diameter distribution of the PLA nanofibres

Influence of Surface Concentration on Poly(vinyl alcohol) Behavior at the Water–Vacuum Interface: A Molecular Dynamics Simulation Study

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) is an amphiphilic macromolecule with surfactant activity. The peculiar behavior of this polymer at the water–air interface is at the basis of its use as material for hydrated microdevices, films, and nanofibers. This work aims to investigate the behavior of PVA and water within the surface domain of highly diluted aqueous solutions by means of atomistic molecular dynamics simulations. Monodisperse atactic oligomers of 30 residues were distributed within water slabs in a vacuum box and allowed to diffuse toward the surface. After equilibration, structural features and dynamical properties of polymer chains and water in the interfacial domains were analyzed as a function of PVA surface concentration at 293 K. Surface pressure values obtained from simulations are in agreement with experimental values at corresponding polymer specific surface areas. In the explored concentration range of 6–34 μmol of residues/m2, the chains display a transition between two states. At lower surface concentrations, elongated, quite rigid structures are adsorbed on the surface, whereas partially submerged globular aggregates, locally covered by thin water layers, are formed at higher surface concentrations. At PVA concentrations higher than about 20 μmol of residues/m2, the percolation of chain aggregates over the interface plane produces a surface-confined polymer network with stable pores filled by water molecules. A substantial slowing of polymer and water dynamics in the interfacial domains is highlighted by the mean squared displacement time behavior of terminal residues and the interaction time of PVA–water hydrogen bonding. The diffusion coefficient of water and lifetime of hydrogen bonds between solvent molecules are halved and doubled, respectively, at the interface with the highest polymer concentration. The attenuation of water and polymer mobility concur to stabilize PVA hydrated networks in contact with air