Nitric Oxide-Releasing Nanoparticle/Microfiber Composites (2011)

Undergraduates: Jessica Nash, Ahyeon Koh, Daniel Riccio

Faculty Advisor: Mark H. Schoenfisch
Department: Chemistry

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The proven antimicrobial and wound healing properties of nitric oxide (NO) make NO release a particularly interesting approach for the design of biocompatible materials. Although numerous NO-releasing material formulations have been prepared, the lack of material diversity limits potential applications. Electrospinning is a versatile technique for the preparation of micro and nano scale materials. The high porosity and surface area inherent to electrospun fibers make them ideal candidates for applications such as drug delivery, tissue engineering scaffolds, wound dressing materials, and medical device coatings. Microfibers with NO-release capabilities would thus be expected to improve biocompatibility and tissue integration. Our group is examining the incorporation of NO releasing materials into electrospun microfibers. The effects of fiber size, morphology, and polymer composition on NO release characteristics are reported.