Enhanced mechanical properties of novel chitosan nanocomposite fibers

► Novel chitosan/POSS and chitosan/SWNT composite fibers synthesized by wet-spinning method. ► Composites containing 5-7% POSS and 1% SWNT exhibited superior mechanical performance compared to chitosan. ► Overall improvement in strain at break, tensile stress, Young's modulus and toughness for chitosan/POSS and chitosan/SWNT fibers.