title: Fabrication of polycaprolactone nanofibrous scaffolds by facile phase separation approach.
abstract: Three-dimensional polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffolds with spherulite and nanofibrous structures were fabricated for the first time by thermally induced phase separation from a ternary PCL/dioxane/water system. Moreover, the effects of polymer concentration, aging temperature and the ratio of dioxane to water on the morphology of nanofibrous scaffolds were investigated. The result revealed that gelation, aging temperature, and ratio of solvents significantly influenced the formation of the unique spherulite and nanofibrous structures. The apatite-formation ability test showed relatively rapid growth of carbonate hydroxyapatite in the nanofibrous PCL scaffold with macropore compared to the other two scaffolds with smooth structure and nanofibrous structure without macropore, respectively, indicating good apatite-formation ability of the macroporous and nanofibrous PCL scaffolds.
authors.affiliation: College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Fujian Normal University, Fujian, Fuzhou 350007, China; Ecology and Resource Engineering, Wuyi University, Fujian, Nanping, Wuyishan 354300, China.
authors.forename: Shuqiong
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Fujian Normal University, Fujian, Fuzhou 350007, China.
authors.forename: Zhihang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Fujian Normal University, Fujian, Fuzhou 350007, China.
authors.forename: Guojie
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Fujian Normal University, Fujian, Fuzhou 350007, China. Electronic address: xfxiao@fjnu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Xiufeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xiao
mesh_terms: D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D004146:Dioxanes / Q000737:chemistry; D017886:Durapatite / Q000737:chemistry; D005780:Gelatin / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D057139:Nanofibers / Q000737:chemistry; D011091:Polyesters / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry*; D016062:Porosity; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D004146:Dioxanes; D011091:Polyesters; C016240:polycaprolactone; D005780:Gelatin; D017886:Durapatite; C025223:1,4-dioxane
keywords: Nanofibrous; Phase separation; Polycaprolactone; Spherulite