Tailored binary polymer system PCL-PEO for advanced biomedical applications: Optimization, characterization and in vitro analysis

Abstract

Combining a hydrophobic polymer such as polycaprolactone (PCL) with a hydrophilic polymer polyethylene oxide (PEO) in a binary polymer system can enable a range of novel applications in biomedical engineering by permitting exceptional therapeutic release, antimicrobial possibilities, and heterogeneous tissue engineering scaffolds. In this work, both PCL and PEO were dissolved in chloroform at 15 w/v % at six different ratios to prepare binary polymer solutions. The rheological properties of the singular and binary polymer solutions were measured, and fibers were spun using pressurized gyration. The fiber morphologies of the prepared materials were studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). By immersing samples in deionized water, binary polymeric fibers with varying swelling behaviors were developed and analyzed using optical microscopy. The results were used to identify an optimum PCL:PEO binary mixture in chloroform. Chemical compositions of singular/binary polymer composites loaded with ibuprofen (IBP) were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and thermal analysis was examined using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). In vitro studies on PEO–IBP exhibited an instant release rate of 90 % in 40 s, whereas PCL–IBP and PCL:PEO–IBP revealed a sustained release of 87–96 % in 72 h, respectively. The results were used to discuss the potential use of binary polymer systems in biomedical applications.