Polymer nanofibers from electrospinning of complex coacervates, and compositions and methods thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018100249-A1
Application number	US-201715725465-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 5, 2017
Priority date	Oct 11, 2016
Publication date	Apr 12, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

The invention provides novel polymer nanofiber or microfiber mats or membranes and methods for their preparation via an aqueous, one-step polyelectrolyte complexation and electrospinning of complex coacervates.

First claim

1 . A method for making a nanofiber or microfiber by electrospinning, comprising:
providing an aqueous solution comprising a polyanion or macroanion and an aqueous solution comprising a polycation or macrocation; mixing the aqueous solution comprising a polyanion or macroanion, the aqueous solution comprising a polycation or macrocation, and an aqueous salt solution to form a coacervate suspension; coalescing the coacervate suspension into a homogeneous coacervate phase; and electrospinning the coacervate phase to form a nanofiber or microfiber, wherein the nanofiber or microfiber has a diameter in the range from about 0.199 micrometers to about 32 micrometers.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
constructing a mat or membrane from the electrospun nanofiber or microfiber.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the polycation or macrocation is selected from the group consisting of a peptide or protein, a polysaccharide, a polymer, a nanoparticle, or a charged surfactant molecule or micelle.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the polyanion or macroanion is selected from the group consisting of a peptide or protein, a polysaccharide, a polymer, a nucleic acid, a nanoparticle, or a charged surfactant molecule or micelle.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the polycation or macrocation comprises poly(diallyldimethyl ammonium).

6 . (canceled)

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the polyanion or macroanion comprises poly(styrene sulfonate).

8 . (canceled)

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the salt is KBr.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the polycation or macrocation comprises poly(diallyldimethyl ammonium), the polyanion or macroanion comprises poly(styrene sulfonate), and the salt comprises KBr.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein charge stoichiometry is about 1.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the polycation or macrocation and the polyanion or macroanion are substantially of equal length.

13 . (canceled)

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the coacervate preparation comprises no organic solvent.

15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the applied voltage for electrospinning is from about 6 kV to about 20 kV.

16 . A nanofiber or microfiber produced by a method according to claim 1 .

17 . A nanofiber or microfiber mat or membrane comprising a nanofiber or microfiber of claim 16 .

18 . (canceled)

19 . The nanofiber or microfiber mat or membrane of claim 17 , comprising a therapeutic or diagnostic agent encapsulated therein or adsorbed thereto.

20 . (canceled)

21 . The nanofiber or microfiber mat or membrane of claim 19 , wherein the therapeutic or diagnostic agent is a small molecule, a peptide, protein or enzyme, an aptamer or nucleic acid.

22 . (canceled)

23 . The nanofiber or microfiber mat or membrane of claim 17 , comprising a cell encapsulated therein or adsorbed thereto.

24 . The nanofiber or microfiber mat or membrane of claim 17 , comprising a tissue encapsulated therein or adsorbed thereto.

25 . A product comprising a nanofiber or microfiber or a nanofiber or microfiber mat or membrane of claim 16 .

26 . The product of claim 25 , selected from a pharmaceutical preparation, a medical device, a wound care product, an implant, a filter, a coating, a cloth, a sensor, an energy material, a remediation adsorbent and a delivery vehicle.

Assignees

• Univ Massachusetts

Inventors

• Meng Xiangxi
• Perry Sarah L
• Schiffman Jessica D

Classifications

• D01F6/26 Primary

  from other polymers · CPC title

• C08L2205/16

  Fibres; Fibrils · CPC title

• C08F26/04

  Diallylamine · CPC title

• D01D5/0038 Primary

  the fibre formed by solvent evaporation, i.e. dry electro-spinning · CPC title

• D01F6/44

  from mixtures of polymers obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds as major constituent with other polymers or low-molecular-weight compounds · CPC title