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A Facile and Eco-friendly Route to Fabricate Poly(Lactic Acid) Scaffolds with Graded Pore Size
Published on: October 17, 2016
Physical characterization of polycaprolactone scaffolds
Jorge Más Estellés1, Ana Vidaurre, José M Meseguer Dueñas
1Department of Applied Physics, Center for Biomaterials, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Camino de Vera s/n, Valencia 46071, Spain.
Journal of Materials Science. Materials in Medicine
|June 29, 2007
Summary
Poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL) films and sponges were created. Sponges exhibited higher porosity (50-70%) than films (15%), impacting mechanical properties, while crystallinity remained unaffected by compression.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Science
- Biomaterials Engineering
Background:
- Poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL) is a versatile biodegradable polyester with applications in biomedical devices and drug delivery.
- Controlling the morphology and porosity of PCL-based materials is crucial for tailoring their physical and mechanical properties.
- Understanding the relationship between processing methods, structure, and properties is essential for optimizing PCL material design.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the preparation of Poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL) films and sponges.
- To characterize the porosity, crystallinity, and mechanical properties of the prepared PCL materials.
- To correlate processing conditions with the resulting material characteristics.
Main Methods:
- PCL solutions in tetrahydrofuran (THF) were used to fabricate films and sponges.
- Films were prepared by solvent evaporation at room temperature.
- Sponges were produced by cooling the PCL solution to -30°C followed by freeze-drying.
- Porosity was assessed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
- Crystallinity was analyzed using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC).
- Mechanical properties were evaluated through compression testing.
Main Results:
- Films exhibited approximately 15% porosity.
- Sponges demonstrated significantly higher porosity, ranging from 50% to 70%.
- Compression tests revealed differences in mechanical properties attributed to variations in porosity and crystallinity.
- DSC analysis confirmed that compression scans did not alter the crystallinity of the PCL samples.
Conclusions:
- Processing conditions significantly influence the porosity of PCL materials, with freeze-drying yielding highly porous sponges.
- The observed differences in mechanical properties are directly linked to the porosity and crystallinity of the PCL films and sponges.
- PCL materials can be tailored for specific applications by controlling their porous structure through appropriate processing techniques.
