Electrospinning homogeneous nanofibrous poly(propylene carbonate)/gelatin composite scaffolds for tissue engineering

Xin Jing, Max R. Salick, Travis Cordie, Hao Yang Mi, Xiang Fang Peng*, Lih Sheng Turng

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal Article peer-review

45 Scopus citations

Abstract

Nanofibrous poly(propylene carbonate)(PPC)/gelatin composite scaffolds were fabricated by the electrospinning process and characterized for tissue engineering applications. Using trifluoroethanol (TFE) as a solvent and at low mass content of gelatin, nanofibrous scaffold PPC/gelatin membranes with improved wettability and hydrophilicity were produced, despite the fact that PPC is hydrophobic. However, phase separation occurred when the mass content of gelatin was higher than 5%, resulting in a nonuniform fibrous structure and some large splash defects. Inspired by the effect of pH on the behavior of dissolved gelatin, a small amount of acetic acid was added to the PPC/gelatin solution, which enabled the originally turbid solution to become clear immediately. The results showed that the miscibility of PPC and gelatin was enhanced by acetic acid. Using the treated solution, homogeneous PPC/gelatin nanofibers with a smooth surface and a more uniform diameter were obtained, and they performed better in wettability and mechanical tests. Cell culture experiments showed that fibroblast cells had more favorable interactions on the PPC/gelatin composite scaffolds than those of pure PPC membranes. Furthermore, the introduction of acetic acid did not hinder cell growth and proliferation on the modified membrane. The results of this study suggest the potential use of electrospun PPC/gelatin composite scaffolds in the tissue engineering field.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)9391-9400
Number of pages10
JournalIndustrial and Engineering Chemistry Research
Volume53
Issue number22
DOIs
StatePublished - 04 06 2014
Externally publishedYes

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