Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation 60 (2015) 39–50 DOI 10.3233/CH-151930 IOS Press 39 Preparation and characterizations of EGDE crosslinked chitosan electrospun membranes A. Aqil a,∗ , V.T. Tchemtchoua b , A. Colige b , G. Atanasova c , Y. Poumay c and C. J´ erˆ ome a a Center for Macromolecules Study and Research, Institut de Chimie, University of Li` ege, Li` ege, Belgium b Laboratory of Connective Tissues Biology, GIGA Research Center, University of Li` ege, Sart Tilman, Belgium c Laboratory of Cells and Tissues, University of Namur (FUNDP), Namur, Belgium Submitted 24 June 2014; accepted 1 October 2014 Abstract. Composite Crosslinked nanofibrous membranes of chitosan, ethylene glycol diglycidyl ether (EGDE) and polyethy- lene oxide was successfully prepared with bead free morphology via electrospinning technique followed by heat mediated chemical crosslinking. Architectural stability of nanofiber mat in aqueous medium was achieved by chemical crosslinking of only 1% EGDE, and tensile strength tests revealed that increasing EGDE content has considerably enhance the elastic modu- lus of nanofibers. The structure, morphology and mechanical properties of nanofibers were characterized by Attenuated Total Reflection-Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (ATR–FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Instron machine, respectively. Skin fibroblasts and endothelial cells showed good attachment, proliferation and viability on crosslinked electrospun membranes. The results indicate a good biocompatibility and non-toxic nature of the resulted membrane. Keywords: Chitosan, electrospinning, crosslinking, mechanical properties, tissue engineering, cytotoxicity 1. Introduction Today, the envisaged modern wound dressing should fulfil a number of functions [1]. Apart from protecting the wound from negative environmental influences (e.g. bacterial infections) as a covering material, a wound dressing should also (i) allow good water and gas exchange, (ii) possess good absorption capacities for water and toxins (e.g. endotoxins or inflammation mediators), (iii) serve as a tri-dimensional framework to mimic the nano/microfibrillar architecture of extra-cellular matrix (ECM) for infiltration and growth of host cells, and (iv) positively influence cell growth based on its own biological activity or biological agents present [19]. Nanofiber morphology has been attempted by various researchers and was found to be an excellent dressing material for wound healing [21]. Of the various techniques used for nanofiber fabrication, electrospinning seems to be promising due to its simplicity, environmentally friendly nature, cost-effectiveness and scalability [14]. Electrospun matrices provide an interconnected porous network with a huge surface area and microporous structure, making them an ideal candidate for biomedical engineering applications, such as tissue engineering scaffolds and wound dressings [17]. ∗ Corresponding author: Abdelhafid Aqil, Ph.D., Center for Education and Research on Macromolecules (CERM), University of Li` ege, Sart-Tilman, B6a, B-4000 Li` ege, Belgium. Tel.: +32 4 3663514; Fax: +32 4 3663497; E-mail: a.aqil@ulg.ac.be. 1386-0291/15/$35.00 © 2015 – IOS Press and the authors. All rights reserved