Novel Nanostructured Scaffolds of Poly(butylene trans-1,4-cyclohexanedicarboxylate)-Based Copolymers with Tailored Hydrophilicity and Stiffness: Implication for Tissue Engineering Modeling

Abstract

Here, we present novel biocompatible poly(butylene trans-1,4-cyclohexanedicarboxylate) (PBCE)-based random copolymer nanostructured scaffolds with tailored stiffness and hydrophilicity. The introduction of a butylene diglycolate (BDG) co-unit, containing ether oxygen atoms, along the PBCE chain remarkably improved the hydrophilicity and chain flexibility. The copolymer containing 50 mol% BDG co-units (BDG50) and the parent homopolymer (PBCE) were synthesized and processed as electrospun scaffolds and compression-molded films, added for the sake of comparison. We performed thermal, wettability, and stress–strain measures on the PBCE-derived scaffolds and films. We also conducted biocompatibility studies by evaluating the adhesion and proliferation of multipotent mesenchymal/stromal cells (hBM-MSCs) on each polymeric film and scaffold. We demonstrated that solid-state properties can be tailored by altering sample morphology besides chemical structure. Thus, scaffolds were characterized by a higher hydrophobicity and a lower elastic modulus than the corresponding films. The three-dimensional nanostructure conferred a higher adsorption protein capability to the scaffolds compared to their film counterparts. Finally, the PBCE and BDG50 scaffolds were suitable for the long-term culture of hBM-MSCs. Collectively, the PBCE homopolymer and copolymer are good candidates for tissue engineering applications.

Crystal Structure and Polymorphism of Poly(butylene-trans-1,4-cyclohexane dicarboxylate)

“…The synthesis procedure has been described in detail in a previous report. 9 Deuterated chloroform (containing 0.03% TMS) was purchased from Innochem.…”

“…trans -1,4-Cyclohexane­dicarboxylic acid (CHDA) and 1,4-butanediol (BD) were used as feedstocks, and titanium tetrabutoxide, Ti­(OBu) 4 (TBT), was employed as the catalyst. The synthesis procedure has been described in detail in a previous report . Deuterated chloroform (containing 0.03% TMS) was purchased from Innochem.…”

“…The modulus and strength of PBCE are 830 and 40 MPa, more flexible than poly­( l -lactic acid) (PLLA), which meets the requirements for food packaging, gas-barrier films, and plastics . The possibility of applications in tissue engineering has also been explored. ,− PBCE can copolymerize with other monomers, such as dimethyl diglycolate (DMDG), camphoric acid (CA), and bis­(hydroxyl­butylene) adipate (BHBA), providing versatile thermal and other physical properties. ,,, …”