Higher quality quercetin sustained release ethyl cellulose nanofibers fabricated using a spinneret with a Teflon nozzle

This study investigates the usage of a spinneret with a Teflon nozzle for fabrication of higher quality drug sustained-release electrospun nanofibers. Ethyl cellulose (EC) and quercetin were used as a filament-forming polymer matrix and an active pharmaceutical ingredient, respectively. The electrospinning was conducted using both a traditional stainless steel spinneret and a spinneret with a Teflon nozzle. Experimental results demonstrated that a Teflon-fluid interface at the spinneret's nozzle provided a better performance for implementing electrospinning than a traditional metal-fluid interface in the following aspects: (1) keeping more electrical energy on the working fluids for an efficacious process; (2) exerting less negative effect on the fluid to draw it back to the tube; and (3) making less possibility of clogging. The resulted nanofibers from the spinneret with a Teflon nozzle exhibited higher quality than those from the traditional spinneret in those: (1) smaller diameter and narrower distribution, 520   ±   70   nm for the former and 750   ±   280   nm for the later, as indicated by the field emission scanning electron microscopic images; and (2) better sustained-release profiles of quercetin from the former than the latter, as demonstrated by the in vitro dissolution tests. The new protocols about usage of Teflon as a spinneret's nozzle and the related knowledge disclosed here should promote the preparation and application of electrospun functional nanofibers.