Original scientific paper
Properties, Engineering and Applications of PolymericNanofibers: Current Research and Future Advances
R. Rosic
; University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Pharmacy, Aškerèeva cesta 7, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
J. Pelipenko
; University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Pharmacy, Aškerèeva cesta 7, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
J. Kristl
; University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Pharmacy, Aškerèeva cesta 7, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
P. Kocbeck
; julijana.kristl@ffa.uni-lj.si
S. Baumgartner
; julijana.kristl@ffa.uni-lj.si
Abstract
The subject of nanomedicine has seen a surge in research activity over the past decade, with nanofibers being a particularly active field. Nanofibers are solid, dry fibers with nanometer diameters, made of various polymers, whereas electrospinning is a versatile,
simple, elegant, reproducible, continuous and scalable technology for their preparation.
Nanofibers are a unique class of materials in the biomedical field, since they provide a biomimetic environment on the nanometer scale, a three-dimensional architecture with the desired surface properties on the micrometer scale, combined with mechanical
strength and physiological acceptability on the macro scale. In particular, their ability to imitate the fibrillar elements of a natural extracellular matrix in a very realistic way is crucial. In this paper we introduce the fundamental aspects of the electrospinning process
and the properties of nanofibers, as well as highlighting the enormous potential of nanofibers as drug-delivery systems and tissue scaffolds.
Keywords
Nanofibers; electrospinning; polymer; drug delivery; tissue scaffolds
Hrčak ID:
94200
URI
Publication date:
19.12.2012.
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