Generation of poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) nanofibres using pressurised gyration

•Nanofibre meshes of biopolymer PVP were generated using pressurised gyration (PG).•Minimum PVP molecular weight and concentration values for PG fibre forming were identified.•PG of low molecular weight PVP generated only micrometre scale polymer particles.•With increasing polymer concentration an increase in PVP fibre diameter was observed.•Molecular structures and morphological features of the fibres were characterised.

The ability to generate nanofibres useful for biomedical applications at bench and at a larger scale is a significant manufacturing challenge. In this study, we demonstrate that it is possible to generate nanofibre meshes of poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) using pressurised gyration. The effects of altering polymer molecular weight and concentration on fibre morphology and size have been investigated, with identification of minimum values for both parameters for successful fibre fabrication. In addition, we note that changing the molecular weight may result in changes to the Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectra associated with changes in fibre intramolecular bond strength and arrangement. Overall the study has demonstrated that pressure gyration represents a feasible means of producing nanofibres (470–970 nm) on a scale commensurate with commercial viability and have identified key parameters that influence mesh structure.

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