Chitosan films: Tailoring properties for sustainable applications through casting and electrospinning

This study investigates the influence of the electrospinning technique on the properties of pure electrospun chitosan nanofibers (CSNF), using powdered chitosan (CS) and cast films (CSF) as reference materials. The relevance of this research is shown through the comprehensive analysis of the interconnected effects produced by the electrospinning process on the characteristics of CSNF. The SEM analysis reveals that CSNF has a fibrous network with an average diameter of 92 ± 4 nm, contrasting with the flat surface of CSF. Physicochemical tests show that CSNF exhibits greater porosity (23%), moisture content (14.11%), swelling (10.71%), and solubility (6.74%) compared to CSF. FTIR spectroscopy indicates that electrospinning technique increases hydrogen bonding and molecular reorganization, while TGA demonstrates that CSNF exhibits superior thermal stability compared to CSF and CS powder. These findings provide valuable insights into the benefits of using pure electrospun CS, creating new possibilities for its application in biomedical and environmental technologies.