Abstract
Poly(hydroxyalkanoates) (PHAs) with different material properties, namely, the homopolymer poly(3-hydroxybutyrate), P(3HB), and the copolymer poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate, P(3HB-co-3HV), with a 3HV of 25 wt.%, were used for the preparation of porous biopolymeric scaffolds. Solvent casting with particulate leaching (SCPL) and emulsion templating were evaluated to process these biopolymers in porous scaffolds. SCPL scaffolds were highly hydrophilic (>170% swelling in water) but fragile, probably due to the increase of the polymer’s polydispersity index and its high porosity (>50%). In contrast, the emulsion templating technique resulted in scaffolds with a good compromise between porosity (27–49% porosity) and hydrophilicity (>30% water swelling) and without impairing their mechanical properties (3.18–3.35 MPa tensile strength and 0.07–0.11 MPa Young’s Modulus). These specifications are in the same range compared to other polymer-based scaffolds developed for tissue engineering. P(3HB-co-3HV) displayed the best overall properties, namely, lower crystallinity (11.3%) and higher flexibility (14.8% elongation at break. Our findings highlight the potency of our natural biopolyesters for the future development of novel porous scaffolds in tissue engineering, thanks also to their safety and biodegradability.
Highlights
(3HV) monomers into the macromolecule grants the copolymer improved material properties, namely, lower crystallinity and lower melting temperature, as well as a reduction of its stiffness and toughness compared to the homopolymer P(3HB) [3]
The films exhibited no significant change in mass or volume after water immersion. These results indicate that both films offer a low affinity with water, which agrees with the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging that revealed no noticeable porosity (Figure 2)
13.6 ± 0.4% and 14.8 ± 1.7%, respectively (Table 3). These results show that after the emulsion templating processing into scaffolds, both materials exhibit similar responses to deformation
Summary
Poly(hydroxyalkanoates) (PHAs) are a family of biopolyesters synthesized and accumulated intracellularly as carbon and energy reserves by many bacteria and plants [1]. Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate), P(3HB), is the most extensively studied PHA. It is resistant to hydrolytic degradation, optically pure and highly crystalline (above 70%), due to the stereoregularity that grants it rigidity [2]. Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate, P(3HBco-3HV) is one of the most recognized copolymers. The incorporation of 3-hydroxyvalerate (3HV) monomers into the macromolecule grants the copolymer improved material properties, namely, lower crystallinity and lower melting temperature, as well as a reduction of its stiffness and toughness compared to the homopolymer P(3HB) [3]. The mechanical properties of P(3HB-co-3HV) are strongly affected by the molar fraction of 3HV
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
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
