Increasing the Pore Size of Electrospun Scaffolds

Abstract

Electrospinning has gained much attention in the past decade as an effective means of generating nano- to micro-scale polymer fibers that resemble native extracellular matrix. High porosity, pore interconnectivity, and large surface area to volume ratio of electrospun scaffolds make them highly conducive to cellular adhesion and growth. However, inherently small pores of electrospun scaffolds do not promote adequate cellular infiltration and tissue ingrowth. Cellular infiltration into the scaffold is essential for a range of tissue engineering applications and is particularly important in skin and musculoskeletal engineering. Pore size, porosity, and pore interconnectivity dictate the extent of cellular infiltration and tissue ingrowth into the scaffold; influence a range of cellular processes; and are crucial for diffusion of nutrients, metabolites, and waste products. A number of electrospinning techniques and postelectrospinning modifications have, therefore, been developed in order to increase the pore size of electrospun scaffolds. Diverse techniques ranging from simple variations in the electrospinning parameters to complex methodologies requiring highly specialized equipment have been explored and are described in this article.

Exploration of nanofibrous coated webs for chemical and biological protection

“…Figure 4 clearly demonstrated that sulphur mutated simulant chemical molecules is adhered onto surface of the web and therefore, web is acting as a barrier layer for CWA sulphur mustard gas. On the other hand, air permeability, water vapour, and bacteria and chemical filtration results of functional integrated layer showed agreement and correlation with those obtained by pore size and morphological measurements [24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31]. Nanoweb morphology act as a barrier layer is in close agreement with previously reported work for various other applications [32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39].…”

Platelet-functionalized three-dimensional poly-ε-caprolactone fibrous scaffold prepared using centrifugal spinning for delivery of growth factors

“…Most tissue engineering applications demand 3D-structured scaffolds with open pores to enable cell infiltration. Different strategies such as special collectors 17 and salt leaching 18 were used to enhance the pore size and thickness of nanofibrous layers. Currently, alternative methods to prepare nano-and microfibers, such as melt-blown or centrifugal spinning, are being tested for tissue engineering applications.…”

From Short Electrospun Nanofibers to Ultralight Aerogels with Tunable Pore Structure

“…[7] Moreover, the resulting scaffolds lack the possibility to add scalable pores and often show poor mechanical stability. [8] Recently, Ding and Greiner pioneered a simple way of producing ultralight nanofiber based aerogels or sponges by cutting electrospun membranes into short fiber fragments and subsequently freeze-drying the slurry of these fragments. [2a,b] The idea of using short electrospun nanofibers to enhance the mechanical stability of composites was already proposed by Reneker.…”