Enhancement of nanofiber elasticity by using wheat glutenin as an addition

The properties of glutenin allow it to be a potential substrate for biomaterial production. In the present study, composite nanofiber was fabricated from polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and glutenin based on the synergy of them. In the composite nanofiber, glutenin and PVA act as elasticizer and skeleton polymer, respectively. The property of composite nanofiber is markedly superior to that of PVA. For example, the homogeneity and average diameter of nanofiber from PVA/glutenin were increased, while the number and diameter of beads were decreased. Compared to nanofiber from PVA, the elongation and water absorbance of nanofiber from PVA/glutenin were increased by 121 and 150%, respectively. The proposed mechanism of composite nanofiber formation might be non-covalent networks such as hydrogen bond and SS bond that were built up during electrospinning. It is illustrated that the combination of elasticity of glutenin and crosslinking of PVA/glutenin lead to higher water absorbance, looser texture and better mechanical strength.