Charged poly(D,L-lactide) nanofibers: towards customized surface properties

Surface-charged nanofibers were prepared by electrospinning technique (ESP). For this purpose, a copolymer bearing carboxylic acid functions was added to a poly(D,L-lactide) solution just before ESP process. In a basic medium, negative charges were therefore revealed on fiber surface. By deposition of positively charged particles or polyelectrolytes, surface properties of the fibers could be tailor-made for a specific application. This versatile method can, for example, be applied to the preparation of new biomedical scaffolds.