PHBV‐TiO₂ mats prepared by electrospinning technique: Physico‐chemical properties and cytocompatibility

Abstract

One of the most important challenges in tissue engineering research is the development of biomimetic materials. In this present study, we have investigated the effect of the titanium dioxide (TiO ) nanoparticles on the properties of electrospun mats of poly (hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV), to be used as scaffold. The morphology of electrospun fibers was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Both pure PHBV and nanocomposites fibers were smooth and uniform. However, there was an increase in fiber diameter with the increase of TiO concentration. Thermal properties of PHBV and nanocomposite mats were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). DSC analysis showed that the crystallization temperature for PHBV shifts to higher temperature in the presence of the nanoparticles, indicating that TiO nanoparticles change the process of crystallization of PHBV due to heterogeneous nucleation effect. TGA showed that in the presence of the nanoparticles, the curves are shifted to lower temperatures indicating a decreasing in thermal stability of nanocomposites compared to pure PHBV. To produce scaffolds for tissue engineering, it is important to evaluate the biocompatibility of the material. Cytotoxicity assay showed that TiO nanoparticles were not cytotoxic for cells at the concentration used to synthesize the mats. The proliferation of cells on the mats was evaluated by the MTT assay. Results showed that the nanocomposite samples increased cell proliferation compared to the pure PHBV. These results indicate that continuous electrospun fibrous scaffolds may be a good substrate for tissue regeneration.

Accelerated Weathering Effects on Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) and PHBV/TiO2 Nanocomposites

“…The CA of the water on the surface of the unweathered nanocomposites ( Figure 4 B) was lower than that in the case of neat PHBV, which means that the presence of TiO 2 made the nanocomposites more hydrophilic than the neat PHBV. The higher hydrophilicity of the nanocomposites can be attributed to the hydrophilic character of the TiO 2 nanoparticles [ 92 ]. All the PHBV/TiO 2 samples presented similar CA values for water, ethylene glycol and formamide before and after weathering for up to 1000 h of exposure ( Figure 4 B), which was also observed in the surface energy ( Figure 5 B).…”

PHBV/MWCNT Films: Hydrophobicity, Thermal and Mechanical Properties as a Function of MWCNT Concentration

“…The production of PHBV nanocomposites with different nanoparticles, such as cellulose nanocrystals [14,15], silver nanoparticles [16,17], graphite nanosheets [18,19], titanium dioxide nanoparticles [20], carbon nanotubes (CNT) [6,[21][22][23][24][25] and other nanomaterials, has been studied as an alternative that might improve their thermal and mechanical properties, enabling their utility in certain areas.…”

Recent progress on polymer scaffolds production: Methods, main results, advantages and disadvantages

“…Our research group has successfully produced PHBV electrospun mats reinforced with titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) to be used as scaffolds for tissue regeneration [76]. TiO 2 nanoparticles were synthesized by hydrothermal method, and the mats were prepared by adding 1.0, 2.5, and 5.0 wt% of TiO 2 to the electrospinning solution.…”