Abstract
Nanofibrous membranes based on polycaprolactone (PCL) have a large potential for use in biomedical applications but are limited by the hydrophobicity of PCL. Blend electrospinning of PCL with other biomedical suited materials, such as gelatin (Gt) allows for the design of better and new materials. This study investigates the possibility of blend electrospinning PCL/Gt nanofibrous membranes which can be used to design a range of novel materials better suited for biomedical applications. The electrospinnability and stability of PCL/Gt blend nanofibers from a non-toxic acid solvent system are investigated. The solvent system developed in this work allows good electrospinnable emulsions for the whole PCL/Gt composition range. Uniform bead-free nanofibers can easily be produced, and the resulting fiber diameter can be tuned by altering the total polymer concentration. Addition of small amounts of water stabilizes the electrospinning emulsions, allowing the electrospinning of large and homogeneous nanofibrous structures over a prolonged period. The resulting blend nanofibrous membranes are analyzed for their composition, morphology, and homogeneity. Cold-gelling experiments on these novel membranes show the possibility of obtaining water-stable PCL/Gt nanofibrous membranes, as well as nanostructured hydrogels reinforced with nanofibers. Both material classes provide a high potential for designing new material applications.
Highlights
Electrospun nanofiber membranes have gained a lot of attention the past few years
This study investigates the possibility of blend electrospinning PCL/Gt nanofibrous membranes which can be used to design a range of novel materials better suited for biomedical applications
Our previous investigation of the pure components illustrated that both PCL and gelatin are electrospinnable when dissolved in acetic acid (AA)/formic acid (FA), and this for several concentrations and solvent ratios [5,20]
Summary
Electrospun nanofiber membranes have gained a lot of attention the past few years. Their striking resemblance to the morphology of the extracellular matrix (ECM) made them especially interesting for biomedical applications. Nanofibrous membranes can, unlike structures with porosity on a larger scale, provide an environment closely mimicking the natural ECM by providing appropriate cell binding sites. Solvent electrospinning provides a relatively simple way to produce nanofibers from polymer solutions and is currently the most commonly applied processing technique. To fully exploit the potential of electrospun nanofibrous materials, further research toward the use of less toxic, more economical solvents and a stable electrospinning process suitable for upscaling, is essential
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