Piezoelectric biodegradable poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) based electrospun fiber mats with tailored porosity

Abstract

Piezoelectric polymers allow transducing a mechanical stimulus into an electrical voltage, and vice-versa, leading to a large variety of sensor and actuator applications. Further, biodegradable platforms are increasingly needed in the environmental and biotechnological areas. In this context, this work reports on electrospun fiber based membranes with tailored physical properties and morphology, through the combination of the piezoelectric and biodegradable poly(3- hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) polymer with poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO). The use of a binary polymer mixture and a binary solvent system of chloroform and dimethylformamide allows these materials to have their external and internal morphologies tailored. The porosity of the neat and blend fibers ranges between 79 and 93%. The produced materials demonstrated huge potential for environmental and biotechnological applications that require piezoelectricity, biodegradability and porosity.