Nanoscale size-controlled electrospun composite mats of chitosan with tungsten disulfide inorganic nanotubes (INT-WS2)

In this work, we report the tailor-made fabrication of Chitosan nanofibrous mats reinforced with tungsten disulfide inorganic nanotubes (INT-WS2). The objective was to research the effect of the electrospinning process and material parameters on the obtained morphology of the mats. The INT-WS2 content, the polymer solution concentration, the electric field strength and the solution's flow rate were the factors investigated within the framework of Response Surface Methodology (RSM). SEM and image analysis were employed for the dimensional characterization of the nanofibrous morphology and the estimation of three selected responses. Two responses were related to the quality of the nanofibrous morphology: the number surface density of the beads (Nbead) and the average bead-to-fiber diameter (Dbead/Dfiber). The third response was the fiber thickness (Dfiber). The results indicate that the polymer solution concentration, the electric field strength and the INT-WS2 loading are the factors that mostly affect the electrospun nanofibrous morphology. The response-surface results revealed possible experimental pathways that may be followed in order to obtain a desired nanofibrous chitosan/INT-WS2 morphology for the intended biomedical application.