Use of Polyvinyl Alcohol Electrospun Nonwovens Containing Polyamidoamine Dendrimers to Improve the Solubility of Ibuprofen

This study aimed to evaluate the incorporation and release behavior of ibuprofen (IBU) in polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and PVA-dendrimer (PVA-DEN) matrices using the electrospinning technique. PVA nanofibrous mats containing poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers and IBU were successfully produced and characterized. The nanofibrous mats were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and mechanical tensile-strength tests. The results confirmed the successful incorporation of IBU and PAMAM dendrimers into the PVA matrix. Release tests demonstrated that PVA-DEN nanofibrous mats achieved 100% IBU release within 270 min, significantly enhancing the solubility and release rate compared to PVA-IBU mats, which released only 66.12% of IBU in the same period. The release profiles followed the Weibull model, indicating a diffusional process. These findings suggest that the presence of PAMAM dendrimers facilitates the dissolution and release of IBU, making PVA-DEN nanofibrous mats a promising material for advanced drug delivery applications.