Sol-Gel Preparation of Silica-Based Nano-Fibers for Biomédical Applications

Silica nanotube sponges and solid silica fiber mats were fabricated using a collagen and electrospun poly(vinylalcohol) as the templates via the sol-gel route. In vitro reassembled collagen fibrils were treated in the Stöber sol-gel precursor mixture of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS), ethanol, water, and ammonia to produce the silica-coated collagen fibrils. The electrospun PVA fiber mats were soaked in the Stöber type as well as acid-catalyzed silica oligomer sol from TEOS. Those were calcined to yield apparently silica nano- or micro-fibers, but transmission and scanning electron microscope observations showed that the Stöber sol treatment resulted in silica nano- or micro-fibers with hollow structure, or nanotubes (silica NTs), while the acid-catalyzed sol yielded solid fibrous mats.