Abstract
The transparency of nanofibrous scaffolds is of highest interest for potential applications like corneal wound dressings in corneal tissue engineering. In this study, we provide a detailed analysis of light transmission through electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffolds. PCL scaffolds were produced via electrospinning, with fiber diameters in the range from (35 ± 13) nm to (167 ± 35) nm. Light transmission measurements were conducted using UV–vis spectroscopy in the range of visible light and analyzed with respect to the influence of scaffold thickness, fiber diameter, and surrounding medium. Contour plots were compiled for a straightforward access to light transmission values for arbitrary scaffold thicknesses. Depending on the fiber diameter, transmission values between 15% and 75% were observed for scaffold thicknesses of 10 µm. With a decreasing fiber diameter, light transmission could be improved, as well as with matching refractive indices of fiber material and medium. For corneal tissue engineering, scaffolds should be designed as thin as possible and fabricated from polymers with a matching refractive index to that of the human cornea. Concerning fiber diameter, smaller fiber diameters should be favored for maximizing graft transparency. Finally, a novel, semi-empirical formulation of light transmission through nanofibrous scaffolds is presented.
Highlights
High transmission values were only obtained below 5 μm, whereby scaffolds with thinner fiber diameters showed a higher light transmission in general
The parameter m from Equation (8) increased with increasing fiber diameter from 0.054 to 0.089, and light attenuation
Description of Light Tranmission transmission through the nanofibrous scaffolds depends on scaffold properties such as Following theoretical considerations in the Materials and section, light fiber diameter andthe scaffold thickness and on material characteristics suchMethods as the refractive transmission through the nanofibrous scaffolds depends on scaffold properties index
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Park et al were able to measure directly transmitted and reflected fractions of the incident beam Their observations indicated that the scattering of the nanofibrous structure is the dominant factor, compared to the light absorption by the material. The total through the scaffold’s thickness, the diameter of the nanofibers, and the refractive indice light transmission through a nanofibrous scaffold should be describable through of the fiber material and the surrounding the scaffold’s thickness, the diameter of themedium. Using UV–vis spectroscopy measurements, light transmission through the scaffolds was analyzed different fiber diameters were investigated regarding their optical properties.with. Using statistical vis regard spectroscopy measurements, transmission through the scaffolds was analyzed laws were derived for an appropriate description of the data within withmodelling, regard topower scaffold thickness, fiber diameter, and surrounding medium.
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