Physicochemical Science of Electrospun Nanofibers as Drug Delivery Systems for Improved Clinical Outcomes

Abstract

Nanofiber technology is a revolutionary platform for drug delivery due to its unique physicochemical characteristics, including a high surface‐to‐volume ratio, adjustable porosity, modifiable mechanical strength, and customizable surface chemistry. Combining nanoscale physics and polymer chemistry allows the directed loading, release rates and interaction with biology to be controlled. This review critically examines the underlying physics and chemistry of nanofiber manufacturing and their effects on drug delivery, transport, biological behavior, and clinical translation potential. A literature‐based study was undertaken that was based upon the principles of electrospinning, the chemistry of polymers, incorporation of drugs, kinetics of drug transport, mathematical models, physicochemical characterization, biological interactions and emerging multifunctional nanofiber systems. Diffusion and polymer degradation are the most important mechanisms that determine the release of drugs through nanofibers and are highly dependent on the morphology, porosity, hydrophilicity, and molecular interactions of the nanofibers. The recent developments in stimuli‐responsive and hybrid nanofiber systems also allow the targeted, personalized, and controlled delivery of therapeutics. The interactive combination of physics‐based structural engineering and chemistry‐based functional modification offers an efficient framework for developing the next‐generation nanofiber‐based drug delivery systems. Nevertheless, even with the issues of scalability and regulation, innovations are increasing at a rate that makes them clinically applicable.