Fabrication of Novel Open-Cell Foams of Poly(ε-caprolactone)/Poly(lactic acid) Blends for Tissue-Engineering Scaffolds

Abstract

Poly(ε-caprolactone)/poly(lactic acid) (PCL/PLA) blends are very promising materials with biodegradable characteristics and tailorable performance for many applications. In this study, PCL and PLA were compounded at various ratios using a co-rotating twin-screw extruder. The morphology showed that they were immiscible but were dispersed well in each other. Very interesting and peculiar open-cell structures were obtained through a batch-foaming process. Interconnected holes with flexible PCL fibrils were created by high tensile stress during cell expansion, which contributed to the rapid diffusion of CO2. No cells collapsed at high foam expansion under all foaming conditions. Moreover, a small-diameter tubular PCL/PLA foamed scaffold had a tensile toe region of approximately 40%, which indicated a potential application for vascular tissue engineering. The human umbilical vein endothelial cells cultured on the surfaces of PCL/PLA blend foams showed high viability and migration.