Electrospun nanofibers of polylactide (PLA) stereocomplex with super-hydrophobic surfaces for potential use in facial mask and biomedical applications

Polylactide (PLA) is a biodegradable to replace the fossil-based polymers and able for use in many applications. The enantiomeric forms of PLA are poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) and poly(D lactide) (PDLA). The best stereocomplexation are made from a mixture of PLLA and PDLA in ratio 1: 1. A stereocomplex crystal form improves melting temperature and better mechanical properties. Hydrophobicity is a property that shows the wettability at surface of materials. Alkyl ketene dimers (AKD) is organic wax compound in specifically reacting between opening rings of AKD with hydroxyl groups of PLAs. In this work, process of electrospinning and film casting of PLA stereocomplex and AKD blended and coated was investigated. Additional with effect of different types and molecular weights of PLLA and PDLA (low molecular weight PLLA and hyper-branched PDLA), which studies by employing differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), polarized optical microscope (POM), universal testing machine (UTM), water contact angle (WCA) measurement, and X-Ray diffraction (XRD) machine. Stereocomplexation shows the different diameter size of fibers from different molecular weight, different crystal formation, improves mechanical and thermal properties. The surface treated-nanofibers and films show improvements in crystallinity, mechanical properties, and surface hydrophobicity. In part of stereocomplex from low molecular weight PLLA, showed the low diameter size of electrospun fibers and observed beats feature. HB-PDLA shows the increasing of stereocomplex crystallinity and good contribution of AKD blended. Casting films show the decreasing size of stereocomplex film but increasing after blended with AKD or using HB-PDLA to make a stereocomplexation. The materials have high potential for use in various applications, especially in biomedical applications as facial mask, cell scaffold, or wound dressing materials.