title: Preparation and characterization of novel electrospun poly(ϵ-caprolactone)-based nanofibrous scaffolds.
abstract: Nanofibrous scaffolds have many advantages that make them excellent candidates for tissue engineering applications. The scaffolds with high surface area to volume ratio favor cell adhesion, proliferation, migration and differentiation. In the present study, the preparation of electrospun poly (ϵ-caprolactone)-polyethylene glycol-poly (ϵ-caprolactone) (PCL-PEG-PCL) nanofibers is shown for the first time. PCL-PEG-PCL copolymers were synthesized using a ring-opening polymerization method. The polymers were characterized by FT-IR, (1)H NMR and DSC. Nanofibers with mean diameters ranging from 60 to 170 nm were obtained by the electrospinning method. Their morphology was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). An MTT assay was used to compare the number of cells in the nanofiber scaffold. It was found that the morphology and diameter of the nanofiber depended on the chemical composition and molecular weight of the PEG segment of the copolymer used for electrospinning. Increasing the molecular weight of PEG blocks from 2000 to 6000 led to a decrease of the diameter of the fibers and the formation of beads.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Medical Nanotechnology , Faculty of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences , Tabriz , Iran.|b Student Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences , Tabriz , Iran.|d Drug Applied Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences , Tabriz , Iran.
authors.forename: Alireza
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Valizadeh
authors.affiliation: a Department of Medical Nanotechnology , Faculty of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences , Tabriz , Iran.|b Student Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences , Tabriz , Iran.
authors.forename: Mohsen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bakhtiary
authors.affiliation: a Department of Medical Nanotechnology , Faculty of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences , Tabriz , Iran.|d Drug Applied Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences , Tabriz , Iran.
authors.forename: Abolfazl
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Akbarzadeh
authors.affiliation: d Drug Applied Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences , Tabriz , Iran.
authors.forename: Roya
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Salehi
authors.affiliation: a Department of Medical Nanotechnology , Faculty of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences , Tabriz , Iran.|b Student Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences , Tabriz , Iran.
authors.forename: Samad Mussa
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Frakhani
authors.affiliation: a Department of Medical Nanotechnology , Faculty of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences , Tabriz , Iran.
authors.forename: Ommolbanin
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ebrahimi
authors.affiliation: c Department of Clinical Biochemistry , Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences , Tabriz , Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rahmati-yamchi
authors.affiliation: a Department of Medical Nanotechnology , Faculty of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences , Tabriz , Iran.|d Drug Applied Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences , Tabriz , Iran.
authors.forename: Soodabeh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Davaran
mesh_terms: D004560:Electricity; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D008970:Molecular Weight; D057139:Nanofibers / Q000737:chemistry*; D036103:Nanotechnology; D011091:Polyesters / Q000737:chemistry*; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000737:chemistry; D013696:Temperature; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D011091:Polyesters; C016240:polycaprolactone; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols
keywords: MTT assay; PCL-PEG-PCL; electrospinning; nanofibrous scaffolds