| Abstract Scope |
Gelatin, a collagen-derived biopolymer promotes cell adhesion, is biocompatible, bioactive and non-toxic, making it valuable for wound dressing applications. However, its use is limited by poor mechanical strength and rapid degradation. In this study, Gelatin was reinforced with 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 wt.% Chitosan to overcome these shortcomings. The composites were electro spun and characterized via tensile testing, FTIR, XRD, SEM and TGA. Nanofibers with 5 and 1 wt.% chitosan gave UTS of 2.01 and 0.23 MPa respectively. FTIR confirmed presence of O-H bonds and amide A, I, II, and III peaks. XRD revealed broad peaks attributed to the amorphous nature of gelatin and chitosan. SEM showed decrease in average fiber diameter and pore sizes with chitosan increase. TGA confirmed thermal stability within the temperature range of 30°C to 250°C. This study has demonstrated that gelatin chitosan nanofibers hold significant potential for effective wound dressing applications. |