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Structural Properties and Enzymatic Degradation Behavior of PLLA and Stereocomplexed PLA Nanofibers
Author(s) -
Fundador Noreen Grace V.,
Takemura Akio,
Iwata Tadahisa
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
macromolecular materials and engineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.913
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1439-2054
pISSN - 1438-7492
DOI - 10.1002/mame.201000197
Subject(s) - nanofiber , materials science , crystallinity , electrospinning , crystallite , annealing (glass) , degradation (telecommunications) , polymer , chemical engineering , composite material , telecommunications , computer science , engineering , metallurgy
PLLA and stereocomplexed polylactide (sc‐PLA) nanofibers were formed by electrospinning solutions of the polymers in HFIP. A highly semi‐crystalline sc‐PLA nanofiber having only sc crystallites was confirmed by WAXD analysis. The diameters of the nanofibers of both polymers decreased slightly when they were annealed at 60 °C, which was near T g . Enzyme degradation of both as‐spun PLLA and sc‐PLA nanofibers by proteinase K from Tritirachium album was carried out. The rate of degradation of the nanofibers can be controlled by varying annealing conditions, hence the extent of crystallinity.