Abstract
Conjugated polymers are biomaterials with high conductivity characteristics because of their molecular composition. However, they are too rigid and brittle for medical applications and therefore need to be combined with non-conductive polymers to overcome or lessen these drawbacks. This work has, consequently, focused on the development of three-dimensional scaffolds where conductive and non-conductive polymers have been produced by combining polycaprolactone (PCL) and polyaniline (PANI) by means of supercritical CO2 foaming techniques. To evaluate their therapeutic potential as implants, a series of experiments have been designed to determine the most influential variables in the production of the three-dimensional scaffolds, including temperature, pressure, polymer ratio and depressurization rate. Internal morphology, porosity, expansion factor, PANI loads, biodegradability, mechanical and electrical properties have been taken as the response variables. The results revealed a strong influence from all the input variables studied, as well as from their interactions. The best operating conditions tested were 70 °C, 100 bar, a ratio of 5:1 (PCL:PANI), a depressurization rate of 20 bar/min and a contact time of 1 h.
Highlights
The use of biocompatible materials as implants is currently the focus of many research projects in the area of tissue engineering
A set of preliminary experiments were run by varying the PCL/PANI ratio in order to determine the optimal ratio required to obtain a conductive polymer with the minimum amount of PANI residues, i.e., PANI that did not incorporate into the scaffold
At a 1:1 ratio a greater amount of PANI was found outside the scaffold and part of the PANI that was found on its surface was detached
Summary
The use of biocompatible materials as implants is currently the focus of many research projects in the area of tissue engineering. These biomaterials would avoid adverse immunologic reactions and provide a protective and supportive means for self-sufficient cells. In the case of cardiovascular implants, the main drawback is that the materials tend to oxidize and degrade in vivo, creating problems after implantation [5]. Another kind of implants used for the treatment of stress urinary incontinence have disadvantages such as fraying and poor conformity [6]
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