Polyelectrolyte complexes formed from two oppositely charged polyelectrolytes have excellent potential for generating variety of structures for biological and material applications. These complexes with new and diverse properties and applications are excellent models for understanding interactions and environments in many natural and synthetic materials with similar mechanisms. Polyelectrolyte complex of polyacrylic acid and chitosan; biocompatible and biodegradable oppositely charged polyelectrolytes was studied in this work. Rheology, conductivity measurement and IR studies demonstrated the effect of specific ion and valence on complex formation, and structures obtained from the complex by electrospinning. Aging of the complex solution was also observed to have profound effect on the electrospinning. The study provides a control over the electrospinning process leading to formation of PAA-CS particles, rods and fibers from aqueous solutions and the morphology of these electrospun structures can be tuned by variables. In brief, the study provides a fundamental understanding of the electrospinning of complexes of natural and synthetic biomolecules in aqueous solutions. The nanofibers thus formed, are functionally active due to the incorporation of metal ions and can be used for tissue engineering, wound dressing, nanoreactors, superabsorbent materials, antibacterial and UV protecting coatings and for water treatment.

Metal ion loaded structures from polyacrylic acid-chitosan complex

247th National Meeting (2014)

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