Fabrication and Characterization of Poly(ε-caprolactone)/α-Cyclodextrin Pseudorotaxane Nanofibers

Abstract

Multifunctional scaffolds comprising neat poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) and α-cyclodextrin pseudorotaxanated in α-cyclodextrin form have been fabricated using a conventional electrospinning process. Thorough in-depth characterizations were performed on the pseudorotaxane nanofibers prepared from chloroform (CFM) and CFM/dimethylformamide (DMF) utilizing scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), rheology, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analyses (TGA), wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), and Instron tensile testing. The results indicate the nanofibers obtained from chloroform retain the rotaxanated structure; while those obtained from CFM/DMF had significantly dethreaded during electrospinning. As a consequence, the nanowebs obtained from CFM showed higher moduli and lower elongations at break compared to neat PCL nanowebs and PCL/α-CD nanowebs electrospun from CFM/DMF.

Poly (lactic acid)-based biomaterials for orthopaedic regenerative engineering

“…Electrospun fibers typically have diameters in the nano-submicron size range and offer a high surface area to volume ratio (Fig.3iii) [168]. In addition, due to their small fiber diameters, they mimic the nano-sized physical characteristics of the ECMs.…”

“…Image (i) reprinted with permission from [137], copyright Elsevier 2006. Image (ii) reproduced with permission from ref [168], copyright American Chemical Society 2015. Images (iii) reproduced with permission from ref [172].…”

Bioactive polymeric scaffolds for tissue engineering

“…Furthermore, PCL has poor cellular adhesion properties on its own, without some form of functionalization [47]. Numerous approaches to improve its bioactivity, including copolymerization, surface functionalization, and blend formations have been used to overcome this disadvantage [48,49]. For instance, Chang et al demonstrated that poly(epsilon-caprolactone)-graft-type II collagen-graft-chondroitin sulfate (PCL-g-COL-g-CS) scaffolds fabricated via particulate leaching and surface modification of PCL can be loaded with type II collagen and chondroitin sulfate to allow for proliferation of chondrocytes in vitro [50].…”

Bone tissue engineering: Adult stem cells in combination with electrospun nanofibrous scaffolds

“…PCL is a biocompatible and biodegradable polymer making it a good candidate for medical applications (Narayanan, Aguda, et al, ; Safaeijavan, Soleimani, Divsalar, Eidi, & Ardeshirylajimi, ). In two separate studies that conducted by our group, we demonstrated that PCL and pulsed electromagnetic field have a synergistic effect on osteogenic differentiation potential of MSCs and human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) (Ardeshirylajimi & Khojasteh, ; Arjmand, Ardeshirylajimi, Maghsoudi, & Azadian, ).…”