Electrospun nanofibrous scaffolds of segmented poly(ester urethane)s based on PEG, PLLA and PTMC blocks: physico-chemical properties and morphology

R. BERGAMO TRINCA; G.A. ABRAHAM; M.I. FELISBERTI

MATERIALS SCIENCE & ENGINEERING. C, BIOMIMETIC MATERIALS, SENSORS AND SYSTEMS

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2015 vol. 56 p. 511 - 517

0928-4931

Biocompatiblepolymeric scaffolds are crucial for successful tissue engineering. Biomedical segmented polyurethanes (SPU) are an important and versatileclass of polymers characterized by a broad spectrum of compositions, moleculararchitectures, properties and applications. Although SPUs are versatile materials that canbe designed by different routes to cover a wide range of properties, they havebeen infrequently used for the preparation of electrospun nanofibrousscaffolds. This study reports the preparation of new electrospun polyurethanescaffolds. The segmented polyurethanes were synthesized using low molar masses macrodyols(poly(ethylene glycol), poly(L-lactide) and poly(trimethylene carbonate)) and 1,6-hexane diisocyanate and 1,4-butanodiol as isocyanate and chainextensor, respectively.Different electrospinning parameters such as solution properties and processingconditions were evaluated to achieve smooth, uniform bead-free fibers. Electrospun micro/nanofibrous structures with mean fiber diameters rangingfrom 600 nm to 770 nm were obtained by varying the processing conditions. They were characterized in terms ofthermal and dynamical mechanical properties, swelling degree and morphology.The elastomeric polyurethane scaffolds exhibit interesting properties thatcould be appropriate as biomimetic matrices for soft tissue engineeringapplications.