Remotely actuated shape memory effect of electrospun composite nanofibers

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Biomedical Engineering
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Development of advanced biodegradable polymers is crucial for biomedical applications.
• Incorporating magnetic nanoparticles into polymer matrices offers novel functionalities.
• Shape memory polymers (SMPs) are of interest for stimuli-responsive devices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate and characterize biodegradable polymer composite nanofibers with shape memory and magnetic properties.
• To investigate the stimuli-responsive behavior (heat and magnetic field) of the composite fibers.
• To evaluate the biocompatibility of the developed nanofibers for potential biomedical use.

Main Methods:

• Electrospinning of chemically cross-linked poly(ε-caprolactone) (c-PCL) matrix with multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) coated with Fe(3)O(4) nanoparticles.
• Synthesis of Fe(3)O(4)-loaded MWNT composite nanoparticles (Fe(3)O(4)@CD-M) via functionalization and co-precipitation.
• Quantitative determination of heat generation in the PCL matrix via magnetic nanoparticle hysteresis loss.
• Alamar blue assay to assess cytotoxicity with osteoblast cell cultures.

Main Results:

• Fabricated composite nanofibers exhibited excellent shape memory effects triggered by hot water and alternating magnetic fields.
• Magnetic nanoparticles generated quantifiable heat within the PCL matrix through magnetic hysteresis loss.
• The synthesized Fe(3)O(4)@CD-M nanoparticles demonstrated effective magnetic responsiveness.
• Alamar blue assay indicated good biocompatibility of the electrospun composite fibers.

Conclusions:

• The developed c-PCL/Fe(3)O(4)@CD-M composite nanofibers possess dual stimuli-responsive shape memory behavior.
• The magnetic heating capability offers a non-invasive method for shape recovery.
• The demonstrated biocompatibility supports their potential application in various biomedical fields.