Biomaterials Based on Electrospun Chitosan. Relation between Processing Conditions and Mechanical Properties.

In this paper, it is shown that pure chitosan nanofibers and films were prepared with success in 0.5 M acetic acid as solvent using poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO) at different yields, allowing electrospinning of the blends. After processing, a neutralization step of chitosan followed by water washing is performed, preserving the initial morphology of chitosan materials. The influence of the yield in PEO in the blend on the degree of swelling and hydrophilicity of films and nanofibers is demonstrated. Then, the mechanical behavior of blended nanofibers and films used as reference are determined for small stress applied in the linear domain by DMA and by uniaxial traction up to rupture. The dried and wet states are covered for the first time. It is shown that the mechanical properties are increased when electrospinning is performed in the presence of PEO up to a 70/30 chitosan/PEO weight ratio even after PEO extraction. This result can be explained by a better dispersion of the chitosan in the presence of PEO.

Rheological Properties of DNA Molecules in Solution: Molecular Weight and Entanglement Influences.

Molecular weight, stiffness, temperature, and polymer and ionic concentrations are known to widely influence the viscosity of polymer solutions. Additionally, polymer molecular weight-which is related to its dimensions in solution-is one of its most important characteristics. In this communication, low molecular weight DNA from salmon sperm was purified and then studied in solutions in a wide concentration range (between 0.5 and 1600 mg/mL). The intrinsic viscosity of this low molecular weight DNA sample was firstly determined and the evidence of the overlap concentration was detected around the concentration of 125 mg/mL. The chain characteristics of these short molecules were studied in terms of the influence of their molecular weight on the solution viscosities and on the overlap parameter CDNA[η]. Furthermore, to complete previously reported experimental data, solutions of a large molecular weight DNA from calf-thymus were studied in a high concentration range (up to 40 mg/mL). The rheological behavior is discussed in terms of the generalized master curve obtained from the variation of the specific viscosity at zero shear rate (ηsp,0) as a function of CDNA[η].

Conformation and Rheological Properties of Calf-Thymus DNA in Solution.

Studies of DNA molecule behavior in aqueous solutions performed through different approaches allow assessment of the solute-solvent interactions and examination of the strong influence of conformation on its physicochemical properties, in the presence of different ionic species and ionic concentrations. Firstly, the conformational behavior of calf-thymus DNA molecules in TE buffer solution is presented as a function of temperature. Secondly, their rheological behavior is discussed, as well as the evidence of the critical concentrations, i.e., the overlap and the entanglement concentrations (C* and Ce, respectively) from steady state flow and oscillatory dynamic shear experiments. The determination of the viscosity in the Newtonian plateau obtained from flow curves η ( ) allows estimation of the intrinsic viscosity and the specific viscosities at zero shear when C[η] < 40. At end, a generalized master curve is obtained from the variation of the specific viscosity as a function of the overlap parameter C[η]. The variation of the exponent s obtained from the power law η~ -s for both flow and dynamic results is discussed in terms of Graessley's analysis. In the semi-dilute regime with entanglements, a dynamic master curve is obtained as a function of DNA concentration (CDNA > 2.0 mg/mL) and temperature (10 °C < T < 40 °C).