Ultrafine Fibers of Poly-(3-Hydroxybutyrate) with Zinc–Tetraphenylporphyrin Obtained by Electrospinning

Ultrathin fibers of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) with a zinc–tetraphenylporphyrin complex (0-5%) were obtained by electrospinning. Optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, electron paramagnetic resonance, and x-ray structural analysis were used to study the structure of the fibers. It was shown that addition of the ZnTPP complex to the PHB fiber increases the crystallinity and lowers the molecular mobility in the amorphous regions of the polymer. The action of heat on the fiber (annealing at 140°C) leads to significant increase of crystallinity and molecular mobility in the amorphous regions of fibers of PHB and of PHB with 1% of ZnTPP. With 3-5% content of the complexes the crystallinity of the fiber is substantially reduced. The results of the work make it possible to recommend the investigated materials for biomedical application as matrices with antibacterial activity