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Effects of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on the processing and in-vitro degradation of poly(dl-lactide-co-glycolide)/CNT films

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Abstract

Nanocomposite films based on single wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) and poly(dl-lactide-co-glycolide) copolymer (50:50 PLGA) were processed and analyzed. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of different functionalization systems on the physical stability and morphology of PLGA films. Both covalent and non covalent functionalization of carbon nanotubes were considered in order to control the interactions between PLGA and SWNTs and to understand the role of the filler in the biodegradation properties. Using a solvent casting process, different PLGA/SWNT nanocomposites were prepared and incubated using organic solution under physiological conditions. In-vitro degradation studies were conducted by measurements of weight loss, infrared spectroscopy, glass transition temperature and SEM observations as a function of the incubation time, over a 9-week period. All PLGA films were degraded by hydrolitical degradation. However, a different degradation mechanism was observed in the case of functionalized SWNTs with respect to pristine material. It has been observed that system composition and SWNT functionalization may play a crucial role on the autocatalytic effect of the degradation process. These studies suggest that the degradation kinetics of the films can be engineered by varying carbon nanotube (CNT) content and functionalization. The combination of biodegradable polymers and CNTs opens a new perspective in the self-assembly of nanomaterials and nanodevices.

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Acknowledgements

This study was carried out with the support of the European Union, within the framework of the NANOBIOCOM FP6-EC project. The authors, I.A. and M.D. acknowledges the financial support from the National Consortium of Materials Science and Technology (INSTM). We acknowledge the help of Dr Federica Meloni for the SEM analysis as well as for technical support. Interesting discussions with Dr Jurado Oñate María Jesús (Inasmet-Spain) were highly appreciated.

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  1. Materials Engineering Centre, UdR INSTM, NIPLAB, University of Perugia, Terni, Italy

    Ilaria Armentano, Mariaserena Dottori, Debora Puglia & Josè M. Kenny

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  1. Ilaria Armentano
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  2. Mariaserena Dottori
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  3. Debora Puglia
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  4. Josè M. Kenny
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Correspondence to Ilaria Armentano.

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Armentano, I., Dottori, M., Puglia, D. et al. Effects of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on the processing and in-vitro degradation of poly(dl-lactide-co-glycolide)/CNT films. J Mater Sci: Mater Med 19, 2377–2387 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10856-007-3276-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10856-007-3276-2

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