Solutions of the all polymers, PVA (Thermo Fisher Scientific India Pvt. Ltd.), Pectin (HiMedia Laboratories Pvt. Ltd.) as well as pure mucilage (HLM) were prepared separately. For all cases, requisite amount of polymers was weighed as per the need of mother polymer solution concentration (1% w/v mucilage, 2%, 5% w/v Pectin, 10% w/v PVA). The pre-weighed polymers were added in the double distilled water slowly with continuous stirring until homogeneous consistency was obtained. In case of PVA, the water was heated to 65°C to facilitate solubilization. To obtain a clear PVA solution, it was left for overnight continuous stirring using a magnetic stirrer. Afterward, these polymeric solutions were taken in volume ratio and stirred till a uniformly miscible blend was formed. The blends were later subjected to electrospinning to obtain the desired nanofibers a shown in Table 1 .
Optimization of nanofibers mat
| Sample | Concentration of Pectin(%w/v) | Mucilage-Pectin-PVA (volume ratio) | Amount of PVA (%) | Applied voltage (KV) | Needle to collector distance (cm.) | Flow rate (mL/hr.) | Formation of fibers | Observation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S1 | 2% | 1:1:1 | 33.33 | 23 | 15 | 1 | No | Spray jet only |
| S2 | 2% | 1:2:1 | 25 | 23 | 15 | 1 | No | Spray jet only |
| S3 | 2% | 2:1:2 | 40 | 23 | 15 | 1 | Yes | Spray droplets, in between process |
| S4 | 2% | 2:1:3 | 50 | 23 | 15 | 1 | Yes | Droplet formation, polymer loss |
| S5 | 2% | 1:1:3 | 60 | 23 | 15 | 1 | Yes | Droplet formation |
| S7 |