Poly(L‐lactide‐co‐glycolide) microporous membranes for medical applications produced with the use of polyethylene glycol as a pore former

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AbstractThe aim of this study was to prepare microporous poly(L‐lactide‐co‐glycolide) (PLGA) membranes by mixing PLGA previously dissolved in methylene chloride with polyethylene glycol (PEG) as a pore former. PEGs with different molecular weights of 300, 400, 600, 1000, and 3400 kDa were used. The PEG concentration was fixed at 20–80%, resulting in membranes with increased porosity. The properties of the membranes were characterized by tensile testing, and by SEM, AFM, and FTIR. Solvent evaporation rate from PEG/PLGA blends and PEG solutions was also estimated. Cytocompatibility of the materials in contact with osteoblast‐like MG 63 cells was studied and cell viability and morphology were assessed. SEM evaluation demonstrated that porosity of the membranes can be easily controlled by addition of a defined amount of PEG. The membranes produced with 60% PEG have the most favorable mechanical properties from the point of view of medical applications: tensile strength of 12.6 ± 2.3 MPa, Young's modulus of 0.53 ± 0.08 GPa, and total elongation at break of 56.4% ± 12.3%. The size and distribution of pores in the membranes depend on PEG molecular weight: low‐molecular weight PEG resulted in more homogenous distribution of pores, while high‐molecular weight PEG resulted in asymmetric membranes with the skin on the air‐cured surface. The obtained membranes support cell growth and are promising materials for biological applications. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012