title: Fabrication of microfibrous and nano-/microfibrous scaffolds: melt and hybrid electrospinning and surface modification of poly(L-lactic acid) with plasticizer.
abstract: Biodegradable poly(L-lactic acid) (PLA) fibrous scaffolds were prepared by electrospinning from a PLA melt containing poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) as a plasticizer to obtain thinner fibers. The effects of PEG on the melt electrospinning of PLA were examined in terms of the melt viscosity and fiber diameter. Among the parameters, the content of PEG had a more significant effect on the average fiber diameter and its distribution than those of the spinning temperature. Furthermore, nano-/microfibrous silk fibroin (SF)/PLA and PLA/PLA composite scaffolds were fabricated by hybrid electrospinning, which involved a combination of solution electrospinning and melt electrospinning. The SF/PLA (20/80) scaffolds consisted of a randomly oriented structure of PLA microfibers (average fiber diameter = 8.9 µm) and SF nanofibers (average fiber diameter = 820 nm). The PLA nano-/microfiber (20/80) scaffolds were found to have similar pore parameters to the PLA microfiber scaffolds. The PLA scaffolds were treated with plasma in the presence of either oxygen or ammonia gas to modify the surface of the fibers. This approach of controlling the surface properties and diameter of fibers could be useful in the design and tailoring of novel scaffolds for tissue engineering.
authors.affiliation: Department of Advance Organic Materials and Textile System Engineering, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 305-764, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Young Il
authors.initials: YI
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.affiliation: Department of Advance Organic Materials and Textile System Engineering, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 305-764, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Ko Eun
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 120-750, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Seung Jin
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Advance Organic Materials and Textile System Engineering, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 305-764, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Won Ho
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000737:chemistry*; D057139:Nanofibers / Q000737:chemistry*; D010968:Plasticizers / Q000737:chemistry; D011091:Polyesters; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000737:chemistry; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D013499:Surface Properties; D023822:Tissue Engineering; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D010968:Plasticizers; D011091:Polyesters; D011108:Polymers; D019344:Lactic Acid; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; C033616:poly(lactide)