Electrospun fibrous scaffold of hydroxyapatite/poly (ε-caprolactone) for bone regeneration

Development of fibrous scaffold of hydroxyapatite/biopolymer nanocomposite offers great potential in the field of bone regeneration and tissue engineering. Hydroxyapatite (HA)/poly (ε-caprolactone) (PCL) fibrous scaffolds were successfully prepared by electrospinning dopes containing HA and PCL in this work. It was found that pre-treating HA with γ-glycioxypropyltrimethoxysilane (A-187) was effective in improving HA dispersion both in solutions and in a PCL matrix. Mechanical properties of the scaffolds were greatly enhanced by the filling of A187-HA. The bioactivity of PCL was remarkably improved by the addition of HA and A187-HA. Fibroblasts and osteoblasts were seeded on scaffolds to evaluate the effect of A-187 on biocompatibility of HA/PCL composites. Based on this study, good dispersion of HA in PCL matrix was granted by pretreatment of HA with A-187 and A187-HA/PCL fibrous scaffolds were obtained by electrospinning. These results demonstrated that the scaffolds may possess improved mechanical performance and good bioactivity due to A187-HA incorporation.