pH responsive polyurethane (core) and cellulose acetate phthalate (shell) electrospun fibers for intravaginal drug delivery

In this study we present the use of co-axial electrospinning to produce core-shell composite micro-/nano- fibers of polyurethane (PU) and cellulose acetate phthalate (CAP). The designed fibers possess enhanced mechanical properties with a tensile strength of 13.27   ±   2.32   MPa, which is a clear improvement over the existing CAP fibers that suffer from a poor mechanical strength (0.2   ±   0.03   MPa). The CAP imparts pH responsiveness to the core-shell structure giving the fibers potential for “semen sensitive” (intravaginal) drug delivery.