A nanoscaled three dimensional structure created by using electrospun poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) nanofibers and induced PCL crystallization

A nanoscale, three-dimensional structure consisting of poly(ε- caprolactone) (PCL) nanofibers covered by periodically spaced PCL crystal lamellae was successfully created using a self-induced crystallization method. A nanohybrid shish-kebab (NHSKs) structure was obtained by inducing PCL crystallization on electrospun PCL nanofibers immersed in a PCL solution followed by solvent evaporation. The resulting structure highly resembled the nanotopography of natural collagen nanofibrils in the extracellular matrix (ECM) of human tissues and thus could be a good in vitro model for tissue engineering scaffolds. The morphology of the crystal lamellae of the shish-kebab structure was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). It was found that the solution concentration affected the crystal size as well as the periodic distance between the crystal lamellae. Moreover, the crystal growth between fibers might be able to enhance the stability of the fibrous mats and thus the mechanical properties.