Abstract
Polymeric nanofibers are of great interest in biomedical applications, such as tissue engineering, drug delivery and wound healing, due to their ability to mimic and restore the function of natural extracellular matrix (ECM) found in tissues. Electrospinning has been heavily used to fabricate nanofibers because of its reliability and effectiveness. In our research, we fabricated poly(ε-caprolactone)-(PCL), magnesium oxide-(MgO) and keratin (K)-based composite nanofibers by electrospinning a blend solution of PCL, MgO and/or K. The electrospun nanofibers were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), mechanical tensile testing and inductively-coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). Nanofibers with diameters in the range of 0.2–2.2 µm were produced by using different ratios of PCL/MgO and PCL-K/MgO. These fibers showed a uniform morphology with suitable mechanical properties; ultimate tensile strength up to 3 MPa and Young’s modulus 10 MPa. The structural integrity of nanofiber mats was retained in aqueous and phosphate buffer saline (PBS) medium. This study provides a new composite material with structural and material properties suitable for potential application in tissue engineering.
Highlights
Polymeric hybrid nanofibers are gaining popularity among biomaterial researchers and industries because of their outstanding functional properties [1,2]
The polymer blend solution prepared in the mixture of TFE and DI water resulted in the PCL/magnesium oxide (PCL/MgO) and PCL-K/MgO nanofibers with good fiber morphology, suitable mechanical properties and positive magnesium release results
Composite nanofibers were characterized by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), mechanical tensile testing and inductively-coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES)
Summary
Polymeric hybrid nanofibers are gaining popularity among biomaterial researchers and industries because of their outstanding functional properties [1,2] These hybrid nanofibers exhibit excellent mechanical and biological properties, which make them very attractive for various biomedical applications, such as tissue engineering scaffolds, wound dressings devices, drug delivery materials, medical implants, biosensors and filtration devices [1]. In most cases, nanofibers are typically created using the electrospinning technique, which is cost-effective and reliable [5]. This process is one of the well-established techniques to fabricate a 3D porous nanofiber-based matrix that can be scaled up from laboratory to commercial production. When the surface tension overcomes the electrostatic force, a jet is ejected as a nanofiber from the polymer droplet and is collected in the collector
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call