Development of polycaprolactone/chitosan blend porous scaffolds

Polycaprolactone (PCL) and chitosan were blended to fabricate porous scaffolds for tissue-engineering applications by employing a concentrated acetic acid solution as solvent and salt particles as porogen. These scaffolds showed well-controlled and interconnected porous structures. The pore size and porosity of the scaffolds could be effectively modulated by selecting appropriate amounts and sizes of porogen. The results obtained from compressive mechanical measurements indicated that PCL/chitosan could basically retain their strength in their dry state compared to individual components. In a hydrated state, their compressive stress and modulus could be still well maintained even though the weight ratio of chitosan reached around 50 wt%.