Particle seeding enhances interconnectivity in polymeric scaffolds foamed using supercritical CO(2)

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Engineering
• Tissue Engineering
• Materials Science

Background:

• Supercritical CO(2) foaming is used for polymeric scaffold production.
• This method often results in poor pore interconnectivity, hindering mass transport and cell distribution.
• Improving scaffold architecture is crucial for effective tissue regeneration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of microparticulate silica addition on the pore structure of polymeric scaffolds produced by supercritical CO(2) foaming.
• To assess the impact of silica content on pore interconnectivity and pore size distribution.
• To determine if silica microparticles can overcome the limitations of traditional supercritical fluid foaming.

Main Methods:

• Polymeric scaffolds (polylactide) with varying silica content (0-50 wt.%) were fabricated using supercritical CO(2) foaming.
• X-ray computed microtomography was employed to analyze scaffold structure, pore size distribution, and interconnectivity.
• Physical measurements were conducted to corroborate microtomography findings on interconnectivity.

Main Results:

• Increasing silica content demonstrably enhanced scaffold pore interconnectivity.
• The addition of silica reduced the overall pore size distribution.
• Total porosity remained largely unaffected by the incorporation of silica.
• X-ray computed microtomography and physical measurements for interconnectivity showed comparable results.

Conclusions:

• Microparticulate silica incorporation is an effective strategy to improve the interconnectivity of foamed polymeric scaffolds.
• This approach overcomes a key limitation of supercritical fluid foaming for tissue engineering applications.
• The findings support the use of supercritical fluid foaming, modified with silica microparticles, for advanced scaffold fabrication.