Electrospun nanofibres: Biomedical applications

Abstract

Synthetic and semi-synthetic polymeric materials were originally developed for their durability and resistance to all forms of degradation, including biodegradation. Nanotechnology has the potential to revolutionize many sectors, including pharmaceuticals, information technology, medical devices, materials science, chemicals, and energy. Nanofibres provide a connection between the nanoscale world and the macroscale world, since their diameters are in the range of 1 to 100 nanometres and several metres in length. Therefore, the current emphasis of research is to exploit such properties and focus on determining appropriate conditions for electrospinning various polymers and biopolymers for eventual applications including: multifunctional membranes; biomedical structural elements (scaffolds used in tissue engineering, wound dressing, drug delivery, artificial organs, vascular grafts); protective shields in specialty fabrics; and filter media for submicron particles in the separation industry. This paper reviews the research on recent biomedical applications of electrospun nanofibres.