The impact of adding electrospun fibers of 58S-5wt.%CuO bioactive glass on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the Alginate-Hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) hydrogel

In this research, an Alginate/Hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) hydrogel reinforced with 58S-5 wt.% CuO electrospun bioactive glass fibers was synthesized, and its mechanical properties and microstructure were investigated. Initially, the glass sol of 58S-5wt.% CuO was prepared and subjected to electrospinning with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) to achieve the appropriate viscosity. The glass sol and PVA solution (10 wt.%) were mixed in volumetric ratios of 2:1, 3:2, and 1:1 and electrospun under constant machine conditions. Upon examination of the electrospun fibers, the 2:1 ratio was selected for optimization, and the machine settings were adjusted accordingly. The microstructure of the spun fibers, electrospun at 14 v, a distance of 16 cm, and an injection rate of 0.6 ml/h with an average diameter of 1-1.2 μm, was deemed optimal. Subsequently, the fibers were thermally treated in a box furnace. I Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was utilized to identify chemical bonds, X-ray diffraction (XRD) for phase analysis, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to examine the microstructure. Glass fibers in varying amounts of 15, 20, and 25 wt.% relative to Alginate were added to the hydrogel samples to create composites; these were then subjected to compressive strength tests to determine their compressive modulus. The highest compressive modulus was observed in the composite containing 20 wt.% bioactive glass. The Alginate-HPC/bioactive glass fiber composite is of particular interest due to its high-water content, excellent biocompatibility, and enhanced mechanical properties, especially in various biomedical applications.

The impact of adding electrospun fibers of 58S-5wt.%CuO bioactive glass on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the Alginate-Hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) hydrogel Keywords:

electrospinning , bioactive glass fibers , hydrogel , Alginate , Hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC).