Abstract
Among several methods for nanofibers production, the electrostatic process referred to as "electrospinning", has shown advantage over other methods in producing micro and nano-fibers directly from polymer solutions. In this two-year project, the main aim is to make use of The Embrapa Instrumentation (Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária), laboratorial infrastructure by allocating a qualified doctor to prepare and characterize fibrous mats, with high surface area, directly from a blend solution of chitosan and cellulose acetate via electrospinning process. Such material can present high antimicrobial activity, good mechanical and permeation properties, having a broad potential for immediate practical application in food, environmental and medical fields.The electrospinning technique however, is quite dependent on several empirical and experimental parameters that should be first evaluated and well defined to assure a reproductive process. Additionally, the chitosan cellulose blend should be chemically adjusted, concerning concentration, adequate solvent, plasticizer or surfactant additions, temperature, viscosity, etc, to form gels suitable for electrospinning processing. Chitosan is a versatile polysaccharide with known antimicrobial activity and has been evaluated in Embrapa in gel and film form, mainly as active agent in packaging applications and nanoparticles formation. Cellulose presents similar structure allowing the formation of strength material with good stability and processability. All blends and fibermats undergo complete physical-chemical characterization such as spectroscopic, microscopic (SEM and AFM), DSC, TGA, BET and R-X crystallinity in association to antimicrobial essays against gram-positive and gram-negative bacterium models.The posdoctorade candidate has gained local and international experience in processing and characterizing chitosan and cellulose and its blends (both in excellence institutions) and her permanence for a period at Embrapa Instrumentation is welcome, reinforcing the biopolymer area, an emerging field of research in this unity. (AU)
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