Polymer blending or fiber blending: A comparative study using chitosan and poly(ε‐caprolactone) electrospun fibers

Abstract

Nonwoven membranes of poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL) and chitosan (CS) were produced according to the two methods: by blending the polymers in solution followed by electrospinning – polymer blending method – and by simultaneous deposition of fibers electrospun from separate solutions – fiber blending (FB) method. The two production methods were compared by assessing fiber morphology, mass loss, swelling degree, water contact angle, and mechanical properties of the resulting electrospun membranes. Furthermore, the adhesion, proliferation, and morphology of human dermal fibroblasts on the eight types of scaffold produced were evaluated to assess if the blending method used would influence cell–scaffold interaction. Cell adhesion to the different scaffolds lied in the interval 40–60%, with the CS scaffold presenting the lowest value. Interestingly, cell proliferation was the same when comparing polymer blending and FB scaffolds having 3:1 or 1:3 PCL/CS ratios but very different when the ratio was 1:1 – the FB scaffold sustained a proliferation rate double that of the polymer blending scaffold. This work shows that, when blending polymers to improve the properties of a scaffold for tissue engineering or 3D cell culture, their spatial distribution may considerably affect scaffold's properties and should be considered as another parameter requiring optimization. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019, 136, 47191.

Polyurethane/multi‐walled carbon nanotube electrospun composite membrane for oil/water separation

“…Further increase in the PU concentration (12 wt%) has increased the fiber diameter (481 ± 23 nm). It has a less tendency toward bending instability due to its higher viscosity, making it less susceptible to jet stretching to form a thin fiber 47,48 . So, 10 wt% (w/v) PU concentration was optimized as the most suitable concentration, and it was selected for further studies.…”

Enhanced properties of poly(ε‐caprolactone)/polyvinylpyrrolidone electrospun scaffolds fabricated using 1,1,1,3,3,3‐hexafluoro‐2‐propanol

“…A fabrication of composite polymer materials is a promising approach to medical material development as the combination of polymers with different properties (crystallinity, molecular weight, hydrophilicity, etc.) allows to vary the properties of the final material in a controlled fashion 15–17 . From that point of view, composite scaffolds based on water‐insoluble (PCL) and water‐soluble (PVP) polymers are of great interest as such combination allows tailoring hydrophilicity, biocompatibility, and adhesion of the material to tissues as well as its and stability in the water medium 18 …”

“…allows to vary the properties of the final material in a controlled fashion. [15][16][17] From that point of view, composite scaffolds based on water-insoluble (PCL) and watersoluble (PVP) polymers are of great interest as such combination allows tailoring hydrophilicity, biocompatibility, and adhesion of the material to tissues as well as its and stability in the water medium. 18 For example, Chan Park et al fabricated core-shell PCL/PVP scaffolds containing sulforhodamine B using the solution-blow spinning method.…”

Tuning the Properties of High Molecular Weight Chitosans to Develop Full Water Solubility Within a Wide pH Range

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