Preparation and characterization of chitosan-based nanofibers by ecofriendly electrospinning

• Environment friendly CS-based nanofibers were successfully electrospun.
• 8 wt% CS gel became transparent solution with any precipitation after EBI.
• CS-based nanofibers presented excellent water resistance and swelling property.

Cross-linked chitosan/poly(vinyl alcohol) (CS/PVA with weight ratios of 2:1, 1:1, 1:2 and 1:3) nanofibers have been successfully electrospun using 1% aqueous acetic acid. Viscosity average molecular weight of CS was reduced from 78.7×104 to 1.4×104 by electron beam irradiation (EBI) in order to improve its solubility. The effects of composition on morphologies and swelling property of electrospun nanofibers were investigated. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy studies demonstrated main chemical structure of CS persisted after EBI treatment. Swelling behavior test after cross-linking confirmed that the non-toxic CS-based nanofibers have a potential application in the biomedical field.