Ferroelectric polymer scaffolds based on a copolymer of tetrafluoroethylene with vinylidene fluoride: Fabrication and properties

Abstract

A solution blow spinning technique is a method developed recently for making nonwoven webs of micro- and nanofibres. The principal advantage of this method compared to a more traditional electrospinning process is its significantly higher production rate. In this work, the solution blow spinning method was further developed to produce nonwoven polymeric scaffolds based on a copolymer of tetrafluoroethylene with vinylidene fluoride solution in acetone. A crucial feature of the proposed method is that high-voltage equipment is not required, which further improves the method's economics. Scanning electron microscopy analysis of the samples demonstrated that the surface morphology of the nonwoven materials is dependent on the polymer concentration in the spinning solution. It was concluded that an optimum morphology of the nonwoven scaffolds for medical applications is achieved by using a 5% solution of the copolymer. It was established that the scaffolds produced from the 5% solution have a fractal structure and anisotropic mechanical properties. X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry demonstrated that the fabricated nonwoven materials have crystal structures that exhibit ferroelectric properties. Gas chromatography has shown that the amount of acetone in the nonwoven material does not exceed the maximum allowable concentration of 0.5%. In vitro analysis, using the culture of motile cells, confirmed that the nonwoven material is non-toxic and does not alter the morpho-functional status of stem cells for short-term cultivation, and therefore can potentially be used in medical applications.

Poly(lactic acid) fibers obtained by solution blow spinning: Effect of a greener solvent on the fiber diameter

“…Homogeneous morphologies was reported elsewhere . Low magnification images showed some packed bundles of aligned fibers, which is often observed in solution blow spun fibers . Tutak et al .…”

“…found similar packed bundles for airbrushed fibers, however a different morphology was found when using electrospinning, in which single fibers were tightly packed and highly entangled. Bolbasov et al . also observed similar morphology for SBS fibers and described it as a complex multi‐level structure formed by three dimensional levels: macro, micro, and nano fiber scales.…”

PVDF/TiO2 nanocomposites prepared by solution blow spinning: Surface properties and their relation with S. Mutans adhesion

“…In this sense, thermoplastic materials are the best choice as they can be easily prepared with different morphologies and complex forms for the required application by extrusion, molding, injection or dissolution, among other methods. In particular, nanofiber mats of thermoplastics are receiving a special attention due to their potential use as materials for drug delivery [1], wound dressings [2][3][4], tissue engineering [5,6], etc. Probably the most extended method to prepare this kind of mats is electrospinning, a process in which a polymer ejected solution is subjected to an electric field which deforms it to generate nanofibers [7].…”

Composite implants coated with biodegradable polymers prevent stimulating tumor progression

“…The experiment involved dummy implants made via "solution blow spinning" (SBS) method [7,8] based on polylactic acid (PURASORB PL-38) and organic mineral filling obtained via laser ablation of a DCPD solid target. Macroscopically the implants are 10×10 mm fragments of the material that resembles "filtered paper".…”