A novel transdermal drug delivery system based on self-adhesive Janus nanofibrous film with high breathability and monodirectional water-penetration.

Transdermal drug delivery systems (TDDS) had achieved significant success in medical practice, but still suffered from adhesion failure and skin reaction due to the occlusive properties of hydrophobic pressure sensitive adhesives (PSAs). In order to solve these problems, a novel TDDS patch based on self-adhesive Janus nanofibrous film was prepared by a multilayered electrospinning. This multifunctional patch was a bilayer structure. The subjacent layer was a hydrophobic and adhesive fibrous layer electrospun from polyacrylate PSA (HPSA), and the upper backing layer was a hydrophilic cross-linked poly (vinyl alcohol) (c-PVA) nanofibrous film. The structures of the HPSA/c-PVA composite fibrous films were characterized and their application properties, including adherence performance, water vapor permeability, water-penetration, release characteristics, and skin irritation were evaluated. The results indicated that the HPSA/c-PVA composite fibrous films could provide suitable adhesive properties for TDDS application, excellent capacity for drug loading and release, aesthetical appearance and high safety for use on the skin. Especially, due to the nanofibrous network structures and the hydrophobic-hydrophilic wettability gradient from hydrophobic HPSA layer to the hydrophilic c-PVA layer, the Janus films possessed high breathability and monodirectional water-penetration. Water could penetrate from the hydrophobic to the hydrophilic side, but could not permeate through in the opposite direction. This may provide a feasible solution to the problems caused by the water, sweat, or wound exudate on the skin, when the hydrophobic PSAs were used as matrix for TDDS and wound dressing patches.