Enhancement of chemical, physical, and surface properties of electrospun PCL/PLA blends by means of air plasma treatment

Abstract

Polycaprolactone (PCL) and poly(lactic acid) (PLA) are polymers with unique individual features, but their mixing can produce a new biodegradable material with well-balanced properties, although with a disadvantage that both are highly hydrophobic materials. To improve this drawback, electrospun PCL/PLA blends with various weight ratios were superficially modified by air plasma. The changes undergone by the nanofibers were characterized using spectroscopic and microscopic techniques; water contact angle (WCA) was also determined. We demonstrated that the electrospun PCL/PLA blends did not suffer morphological changes, although it was observed an increase in the roughness and the O/C ratio (by XPS analysis) and, decrease in WCA values, when the PCL content dominates in the blend after the treatment. The surface characteristics of the scaffolds PCL/PLA blends can be improved after modification with plasma and by tuning the content of its components.

Beyond the limiting gap length: peripheral nerve regeneration through implantable nerve guidance conduits

“…However, despite the simplicity of this process, adsorbed proteins have comparatively weak binding affinity, which often leads to the desorption of the protein. 234,235 Thus, for the stable immobilization of proteins, different approaches are required to ensure the prolonged efficacy of the surface modification. In this case, the application of wet chemistry is a viable method, which can address the limitation observed for physical adsorption, wherein reactive reagents are applied to an NGC to chemically bind or conjugate a protein to the surface.…”

Thermal and mechanical properties of aminolyzed‐poly(lactic acid) with amine‐terminated dendritic polymer: Surface and bulk functionalization

“…Generally, PLA properties can be tailored through bulk or surface modifications. The first one employs techniques such as blending, 12,13 solvent casting, 14,15 copolymerization, 16,17 and cross‐linking 18,19 . For example, Raj et al 20 successfully enhanced the thermomechanical properties of poly( l ‐lactic acid) through blending with 30 wt% of polyamide12 in which the final product showed maximal ductility of 225%, impact toughness of 48 kJ m −2 , and thermal resistance up to 123°C.…”

“…Generally, PLA properties can be tailored through bulk or surface modifications. The first one employs techniques such as blending, 12,13 solvent casting, 14,15 copolymerization, 16,17 and cross-linking. 18,19 For example, Raj et al 20 successfully enhanced the thermomechanical properties of poly(L-lactic acid) through blending with 30 wt% of polyamide12 in which the final product showed maximal ductility of 225%, impact toughness of 48 kJ m À2 , and thermal resistance up to 123 C. Another approach of surface modification includes techniques that may influence the surface properties through chemical and/or physical treatment such as alkaline hydrolysis, plasma treatment, enzyme modification, coating, 21 and aminolysis.…”

Preparation and characterization of thermo‐responsive shape memory polycaprolactone/poly(ethylene‐co‐octene) blends for 4D printing

“…It is always used as the stationary phase in shape memory blends to fix the temporary shape. [19][20][21][22] POE is a type of polyolefin elastomer with excellent energy storage capacity. [23][24][25][26][27] In this work, the respective properties of PCL and POE were combined by melt blending, and the blends exhibit desirable mechanical properties while retaining excellent elasticity.…”