A series of random copolymers were
synthesized via the copolymerization
of a carbohydrate lactone, acetic acid 5-acetoxy-6-oxotetrahydropyran-2-yl
methyl ester (1), and ε-caprolactone. The copolymers
were characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy,
size exclusion chromatography (SEC), differential scanning calorimetry
(DSC), and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). Copolymers (P1–P4) were produced with typical carbohydrate
ester compositions of 1–4 mol %. These copolymers are semicrystalline
and can be processed into thin films with Young’s moduli of
300–420 MPa, values that exceed that for polycaprolactone (PCL).
The copolymers were processed using supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2, 35 °C, 200 bar) into foamed, porous scaffolds, which
were characterized by dynamic mechanical thermal analyses (DMTA),
mercury porosimetry, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The copolymer
foams showed increased pore size with increasing carbohydrate ester
content. The average pore size increased from 71 μm (PCL) to
319 μm (P4). The foamed scaffolds have normalized
storage moduli ranging from 37 MPa cm3 g–1 (P4) to 109 MPa cm3 g–1 (P1). A representative copolymer foamed scaffold, tested
according to ISO 10993-5 criteria, was cytocompatible for cell culture.
MC3T3 cells cultured on a film of this copolymer showed increased
relative metabolic activities compared to cells cultured on a PCL
film. When primary bovine chondrocytes were cultured on the foamed
scaffolds, increased cell penetration into the random copolymer foam
was observed compared to PCL foams.
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