Fabrication and characterization of PVA/ODA-MMT-poly(MA-alt-1-octadecene)-g-graphene oxide e-spun nanofiber electrolytes and their response to bone cancer cells

Abstract

This work presents a new approach to fabrication and characterization of novel polymer nanofiber electrolytes from intercalated PVA/ODA-MMT nanocomposite as a matrix polymer and encapsulated graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets with amphiphilic reactive copolymer as partner polymers using electrospinning method. The chemical and physical structures, surface morphology, thermal behaviors and electric conductivity of nanocomposites and nanofibers were investigated using analyses methods including FTIR, XRD, SEM, DSC-TGA and conductivity analysis. Significant improvements in nanofiber morphology and size distribution were observed when GO and reactive organoclay were incorporated as reinforcement fillers into various matrix/partner solution blends. The structural factors of matrix-partner polymer nanocomposite particles with higher zeta-potential play important roles in both chemical and physical interfacial interactions and phase separation processing and also lead to the formation of nanofibers with unique surface morphologies and good conductivities. The cytotoxic, necrotic and apoptotic effects of chosen nanofibers on osteocarcinoma cells were also investigated. These multifunctional, self-assembled, nanofibrous surfaces can serve as semi-conductive and bioactive platforms in various electrochemical and bio-engineering processes, as well as reactive matrices used for the immobilization of various biopolymer pfecursors. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.