Elastin-based polymer: synthesis, characterization and examination of its miscibility characteristics with poly(vinyl alcohol) and electrospinning of the miscible blends: Elastin-based polymer and miscibility with PVA

Miscibility is an important factor for peptide-based polymer blends for employment in the pharmaceutical, drug delivery and biomedical fields. The current study presents the synthesis of a repeating sequence of elastin, poly(GVGIP), characterized using H-1 NMR and C-13 NMR spectroscopy, and an investigation of its miscibility characteristics with poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) over a broad range of composition in solid and solution phase using various analytical techniques. The miscibility behaviour of the blend solutions was established quantitatively by the analysis of various parameters of simple viscometric measurements. The results confirmed the miscibility of the blends containing up to 50% of the polypeptide. Further, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy indicated the existence of intermolecular hydrogen bonding between the two polymers in the blends. Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction revealed the change in surface morphology and crystallinity for blend films. Differential scanning calorimetry demonstrated a single glass transition temperature of the blend films. Interestingly, long, thin nanofibre meshes were also successfully prepared through electrospinning of poly(GVGIP)/PVA blends from aqueous solutions at a very low concentration (5wt%). (c) 2018 Society of Chemical Industry