title: Polycaprolactone/starch composite: Fabrication, structure, properties, and applications.
abstract: Interests in the use of biodegradable polymers as biomaterials have grown. Among the different polymeric composites currently available, the blend of starch and polycaprolactone (PCL) has received the most attention since the 1980s. Novamont is the first company that manufactured a PCL/starch (SPCL) composite under the trademark Mater-Bi®. The properties of PCL (a synthetic, hydrophobic, flexible, expensive polymer with a low degradation rate) and starch (a natural, hydrophilic, stiff, abundant polymer with a high degradation rate) blends are interesting because of the composite components have completely different structures and characteristics. PCL can adjust humidity sensitivity of starch as a biomaterial; while starch can enhance the low biodegradation rate of PCL. Thus, by appropriate blending, SPCL can overcome important limitations of both PCL and starch components and promote controllable behavior in terms of mechanical properties and degradation which make it suitable for many biomedical applications. This article reviewed the different fabrication and modification methods of the SPCL composite; different properties such as structural, physical, and chemical as well as degradation behavior; and different applications as biomaterials.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Soheila
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ali Akbari Ghavimi
authors.affiliation: Orthopedic Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Science, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Ebrahimzadeh
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.|Department of Biomedical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, 15914, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mehran
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Solati-Hashjin
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Noor Azuan
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Abu Osman
mesh_terms: D008958:Models, Molecular; D011091:Polyesters / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry; D013213:Starch / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D011091:Polyesters; C016240:polycaprolactone; D013213:Starch
keywords: degradation; polycaprolactone; polymeric composite; starch; tissue engineering