Morphological, Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Poly(lactic acid) (PLA)/Cellulose Nanofibrils (CNF) Composites Nanofiber for Tissue Engineering

Abstract

Composite nanofiber membranes based on biodegradable poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) were produced via electrospinning. The influence of CNF content on the morphology, thermal properties, and mechanical properties of PLA/CNF composite nanofiber membranes were characterized by field scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), respectively. The results show that the PLA/CNF composite nanofibers with smooth, free-bead surface can be successfully fabricated with various CNF contents. The introduction of CNF is an effective approach to improve the crystalline ability, thermal stability and mechanical properties for PLA/CNF composite fibers. The Young’s moduli and tensile strength of the PLA/CNF composite nanofiber reach 106.6 MPa and 2.7 MPa when the CNF content is 3%, respectively, which are one times higher and 1.5 times than those of pure PLA nanofiber. Additionally, the water contact angle of PLA/CNF composite nanofiber membranes decreases with the increase of the CNF loading, resulting in the enhancement of their hydrophilicity.

Keywords

poly(lactic acid) (PLA) / cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) / electrospinning / mechanical and thermal properties