Biodegradable Electrospun PLLA Fibers Containing the Mosquito-Repellent DEET

The manuscript details the first literature example of fibers of poly(l-lactic acid) (PLLA) containing a mosquito repellent agent, N,N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide (DEET). The fibers were prepared by electrospinning, are defect-free and have uniform diameter of the order of magnitude of 1?m. Thermogravimetry and infrared spectroscopy showed that it is possible to incorporate more than 50wt% of DEET, which is then slowly released to the environment. As such, the fibers can function as a drug delivery device. Further structural analyses disclosed that PLLA in DEET-containing fibers is semicrystalline, and contains ?-crystals formed during electrospinning. Thermal, morphological and structural characterization revealed that the PLLA/DEET electrospun fibers have potential as novel material for controlled release of DEET, which, coupled with the ease of fabrication, detailed here, can provide innovative tools for fighting mosquito-caused diseases.