Baptista, AnaFerreira, IsabelVieira, Ricardo André Martins Pastilha2020-02-172020-02-172019-112019http://hdl.handle.net/10362/92880Current infection therapies often require oral and topical drug administration. Over the years, several studies have proven the lack of efficiency that characterizes these treatments. This work is focused on the development of an innovative biocompatible drug support, obtained by electrospinning using a polymer (Cellulose Acetate) with a drug model (Rhodamine B), resulting on a nanofiber mat with the drug encapsulated. The encapsulation was tested in both conventional and coaxial setups. The optimized membranes were also functionalized with a conductive polymer (polypyrrole) to test electrical drug delivery activation. Drug release profiles performed with passive (diffusion) and active stimulation (electrical stimulus) were analyzed and compared. The results obtained allowed to conclude that both types of membranes (conventionally or coaxially produced) were uniformly polymerized 45 minutes after the beginning of the polymerization process. Moreover, positive stimulus polarity proved to induce a higher response in terms of drug release. Additionally, different studies were also performed with the aim of obtaining a better control over the released amount and release instants, being therefore studied the sensibility of the membranes to a switchable-like profile. As a result, it could be concluded that the higher the applied voltage, the closer the obtained release profile was from an “on-off” pattern.engelectrospinningcoaxial electrospinningdrug delivery systemcellulose acetaterhodamine bpolypyrrolemaster thesis