Synthesis and Characterization of Drug‐Loaded Poly(ε‐caprolactone)/Silica Hybrid Nanofibrous Scaffolds

Abstract

We produced drug-loaded poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL)/silica hybrid nanofibrous scaffolds with various silica sol contents (0 vol%, 10 vol%, 15 vol%, and 20 vol%) using electrospinning and examined their physicochemical properties, mechanical properties, drug release behavior, andin vitrobiocompatibility to evaluate their potential application for guided bone regeneration (GBR). The loading efficiency of tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) drug was remarkably enhanced by hybridizing the PCL solution with the silica sol. All produced hybrid scaffolds had a highly nanofibrous structure, in which the silica phase was homogeneously hybridized with the PCL polymer, while preserving their intrinsic characteristics. This led to considerable increases in hydrophilicity and mechanical properties (e.g., ultimate tensile strength and elastic modulus). In addition, the release rate and cumulative maximum amounts of the TCH from the hybrid scaffolds significantly increased with increasing the silica content, while all produced hybrid nanofibrous scaffolds showed good biocompatibility assessed byin vitrocell tests.

The impact of electrospun films of poly(ε-caprolactone) filled with nanostructured zeolite and silica microparticles on in vitro histamine formation by Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella Paratyphi A

“…As a result, the fiber diameter also decreased to values of 583 ± 112 nm. Similarly, Shin et al (2013) reported that the diameter of electrospun PCL nanofibers containing SiO2 microparticles decreased with the filler content increased.…”

Bioactive sol‐gel glasses: Processing, properties, and applications

“…Some examples are polyphosphazene‐metal oxide (Ti, Al, Si and Zr), silica‐PDMAAm and silica‐PVP composites, shown in Figure . Class 1 hybrids comprising PVA, PCL, PEG, gelatin or chitosan as organic phase show good electro‐spinnability at low temperature that makes them very suitable for the incorporation and controlled delivery of biomolecules (drugs, growth factors) by preserving them from denaturation and degradation …”

Composite Biomaterials Based on Sol-Gel Mesoporous Silicate Glasses: A Review

“…Typically, the polymer is “mechanically” entrapped in the silica network during condensation, and the inorganic and organic chains are held together by H-bonding to the Si–OH surface groups. Biocompatible and degradable polymers of natural and synthetic origin have been used for biomedical applications, such as poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) [ 81 , 82 ], PCL [ 83 , 84 ], gelatin [ 85 ] and chitosan [ 86 , 87 , 88 ].…”