Alginic acid can be converted into a variety of ammonium alginate derivatives that carry medically relevant cargo such as analgesics, antibiotics, and enzymes. These modified polymers can then be fashioned into nanofibers by electrostatic spinning. These fibrous mats were shown to carry functional therapeutics through a variety of biological assays. Since these materials dissolve slowly in water and release the cargo through ion-exchange, we envision their application as next-generation, biodegradable wound dressings. In addition to our interest in the biomedical applications of these fibrous materials, we discuss ammonium alginates as general precursors to functional nanofibers. The straightforward preparation is key: the cargo need only contain a basic functional group such as an amine for ligation to alginate through an ionic linkage, neither coupling reagents nor purification are required, and cargo can be used in its native state.

Facile preparation of ammonium alginate-derived nanofibers carrying therapeutic payloads

247th National Meeting (2014)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.