title: Imparting superhydrophobicity to biodegradable poly(lactide-co-glycolide) electrospun meshes.
abstract: The synthesis of a family of new poly(lactic acid-co-glycerol monostearate) (PLA-PGC18) copolymers and their use as biodegradable polymer dopants is reported to enhance the hydrophobicity of poly(lactic acid-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nonwoven meshes. Solutions of PLGA are doped with PLA-PGC18 and electrospun to form meshes with micrometer-sized fibers. Fiber diameter, percent doping, and copolymer composition influence the nonwetting nature of the meshes and alter their mechanical (tensile) properties. Contact angles as high as 160° are obtained with 30% polymer dopant. Lastly, these meshes are nontoxic, as determined by an NIH/3T3 cell biocompatibility assay, and displayed a minimal foreign body response when implanted in mice. In summary, a general method for constructing biodegradable fibrous meshes with tunable hydrophobicity is described for use in tissue engineering and drug delivery applications.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Biomedical Engineering and Chemistry, Boston University , Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States.
authors.forename: Jonah A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Kaplan
authors.forename: Hongyi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lei
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Padera
authors.forename: Yolonda L
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Colson
authors.forename: Mark W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Grinstaff
mesh_terms: D020341:Absorbable Implants; D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D055664:Electrochemical Techniques; D005260:Female; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D011098:Polyglactin 910 / Q000737:chemistry*; D013526:Surgical Mesh; D013718:Tensile Strength; D023822:Tissue Engineering
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D011098:Polyglactin 910