The development of nanofiber tubes based on nanocomposites of polyvinylpyrrolidone incorporated gold nanoparticles as scaffolds for neuroscience application in axons

In this report, nanofiber-based tubes as scaffolds for potential neuroscience application in the axon were fabricated by polyvinylpyrrolidone incorporated with gold nanoparticles (PVP/Au) in five different diameters via electrospinning. The objective of the study was to analyze the capacity of nanofiber-based tubes for potential voltage and the ability to form tubes of 0.2, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.00？mm diameter as the scaffold. The capacity for potential voltage showed that PVP/Au is a well-blended material for suitable potential voltage. The morphology of nanofiber-based tubes was examined by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, which showed the good structural stability and good dispersion of Au nanoparticles in the nanofibers. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectra showed the presence of the Au component in PVP/Au and characteristic peaks of PVP and Au in the spectra, respectively. A wide-angle X-ray diffraction study showed that crystallinity was increased by the incorporation of Au in the PVP solution. The study of stress and strain behavior showed that when the diameter of the tubes was increased, the tensile strength of the tube was decreased but the bending behavior of the tubes was good and suitable for the axon. So, the nanofiber-based tube having a diameter of 0.2？mm made from PVP/Au is the better substrate for further in vivo or in vitro investigation, which will make this material more useful for tissue engineering