Electrospinning and mechanical characterization of gelatin nanofibers

This paper investigates electrospinning of a natural biopolymer, gelatin, and the mass concentration-mechanical property relationship of the resulting nanofiber membranes. It has been recognized that although gelatin can be easily dissolved in water the gelatin/water solution was unable to electrospin into ultra fine fibers. A different organic solvent, 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol, is proven suitable for gelatin, and the resulting solution with a mass concentration in between 5 and 12.5% can be successfully electrospun into nanofibers of a diameter in a range from 100 to 340 nm. Further lower or higher mass concentration was inapplicable in electrospinning at ambient conditions. We have found in this study that the highest mechanical behavior did not occur to the nanofibrous membrane electrospun from the lowest or the highest mass concentration solution. Instead, the nanofiber mat that had the finest fiber structure and no beads on surface obtained from the 7.5% mass concentration exhibited the largest tensile modulus and ultimate tensile strength, which are respectively 40 and 60% greater than those produced from the remaining mass concentration, i.e. 5, 10, and 12.5%, solutions.