title: Biocompatible electrospun polymer blends for biomedical applications.
abstract: Blends of natural and synthetic polymers have received considerable attention as biomaterials due to the potential to optimize both mechanical and bioactive properties. Electrospinning of biocompatible polymers is an efficient method producing biomimetic topographies suited to various applications. In the ultimate application, electrospun scaffolds must also incorporate drug/protein delivery for effective cell growth and tissue repair. This study explored the suitability of a ternary Polymethylmethacrylate-Polycaprolactone-gelatin blend in the preparation of electrospun scaffolds for biomedical applications. Tuning the blend composition allows control over scaffold mechanical properties and degradation rate. Significant improvements were observed in the mechanical properties of the blend compared with the individual components. In order to study drug delivery potential, triblends were impregnated with the model compound Rhodamine-B using sub/supercritical CO₂ infusion under benign conditions. Results show significantly distinct release profiles of the impregnated dye from the triblends. Specific factors such as porosity, degradation rate, stress relaxation, dye-polymer interactions, play key roles in impregnation and release. Each polymer component of the triblends shows distinct behavior during impregnation and release process. This affects the aforementioned factors and the release profiles of the dye. Careful control over blend composition and infusion conditions creates the flexibility needed to produce biocompatible electrospun scaffolds for a variety of biomedical applications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, 43210.
authors.forename: Hrishikesh Ramesh
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Munj
authors.forename: M Tyler
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.forename: Prathamesh Sadanand
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Karandikar
authors.forename: John Joseph
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Lannutti
authors.forename: David Lane
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Tomasko
mesh_terms: D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D055664:Electrochemical Techniques; D005780:Gelatin / Q000737:chemistry*; D011091:Polyesters / Q000737:chemistry*; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D011091:Polyesters; C016240:polycaprolactone; D005780:Gelatin; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate
keywords: electrospinning; impregnation; polymer blends; supercritical CO2