PEO–CMC blend nanofibers fabrication by electrospinning for soft tissue engineering applications

Abstract

Polyethylene oxide (PEO) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)/PEO scaffolds are fabricated by electrospinning technique for soft tissue engineering applications. Morphological analysis of the scaffolds reveals formation of stable, regular and cylindrical fibers with 3-D porous interconnected network. Polyelectrolytic nature of CMC results in the formulation of thinner CMC/PEO fibers than pure PEO fibers. All the scaffolds are thermally stable and possess appreciable tensile properties to support cells and promote their growth. The non-toxicity and the ability of the scaffolds to facilitate cell proliferation are supported by MTT assay. This study contributes a promising approach to fabricate scaffolds for possible potential applications in soft tissue engineering applications.