Raman spectroscopy analysis of biodegradable electrospun nanofibers prepared from polymer blends

The electrospinning method was used for the preparation of polymeric nanofibrous layers made of polymers with possible use in the biomedical field. Various samples were prepared using combinations of polycaprolactone or poly(ethylene)oxide and hyaluronic acid. In both cases, nanofibrous layers were spun solely from a water solution. Using confocal Raman spectroscopy we were able to distinguish substantial variations in the distribution of the polymers caused by various preparation parameters and to characterize the prepared samples. Moreover, combining Raman spectroscopy with a mathematical method—singular value decomposition—enabled us to determine the ratios between the polymers used and thus to show the distribution of the present chemical constituents within a localized sample area. This may prove useful for the checking of production of nanofibrous products.