Fabrication and characterization of collagen (shell) /thermoplastic polyurethane (core) composite nanofibers by coaxial electrospinning

Abstract

Coaxial-electrospinning is a new method used in tissue engineering and drug delivery field. It can spin nanofibers with shell-core structure through electrospinning of two polymer solutions. In this study, collagen was used as the outer layer or the shell and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) was used as the inner layers or the core. A series of tests were conducted to characterize the compound nanofiber and its membrane. Morphology and microscopy of the ultrafine fibers were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), whereas the fiber diameter distribution was understood using image visualization software (ImageJ) and measurements of solution viscosity and conductivity. Mechanical measurements were carried out by applying tensile test loads to samples which were prepared from electrospun ultra fine non-woven fiber mats. The results demonstrated that these composite nanofibers had the characters of native extracellular matrix and they could be designed as the scaffold for tissue engineering and functional biomaterials.

Electrospinning of Collagen and Its Derivatives for Biomedical Applications

“…Early reports described nanofibers that were prepared by electrospinning homogeneous polymers, with changes of starting materials, solution conditions, and electrospinning parameters used to prepare singlecomponent nanofibers with different morphologies and properties. However, many of these single-component nanofibers such as collagen [47][48][49], gelatin [50,51], elastin [52], and fibrinogen [53,54], have some limitations including weak mechanical properties, poor processability, poor moisture resistance, rapid degradation rate, and potential immunogenic properties [55,56]. Thus, composite or hybrid nanofibers with different compositions (e.g., organic/ organic, organic/inorganic) have been proposed as promising materials that exhibit physicochemical properties arising from both the host and guest materials [57].…”

Suportes híbridos de PET e colágeno como modelo para enxertia vascular

“…Ainda não foram reportados na literatura materiais eletrofiados de PET com colágeno. Na literatura encontram-se diversos tipos de materiais eletrofiados à base de colágeno 111,112,113,114 , tanto associados a polímeros biodegradáveis como a polímeros biocompatíveis não degradáveis, cujos estudos realizados consistem na caracterização da blenda eletrofiada miscível e sua possível aplicação como um material para suporte de crescimento celular.…”