Electrospun Poly(ε-caprolactone)/Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane-Based Copolymer Blends: Evolution of Fiber...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Science
• Biomaterials Engineering

Background:

• Poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) is a widely used biodegradable polymer in biomedical applications.
• Polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) containing copolymers offer tunable properties for advanced materials.
• Understanding blend morphology is crucial for controlling material performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the structural transitions in electrospun poly(ε-caprolactone)/poly[(propylmethacryl-heptaisobutyl-polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane)-co-(methyl meth-acrylate)] (PCL/POSS-MMA) blends.
• To construct a ternary phase diagram for electrospinnability of PCL/POSS-MMA solutions.
• To correlate fiber morphology with phase separation behavior.

Main Methods:

• Electrospinning of PCL/POSS-MMA solutions with varying concentrations and blend ratios.
• Morphological analysis of electrospun fibers.
• Physicochemical characterization using X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry.

Main Results:

• Observed structural transitions from PCL-rich fibers to bicontinuous core/shell fibers, and finally to POSS-MMA-rich fibers with discontinuous PCL.
• Developed a ternary phase diagram illustrating electrospinnability limits.
• Correlated internal fiber structures with solution phase separation behavior.

Conclusions:

• The study elucidates the complex phase behavior of PCL/POSS-MMA blends during electrospinning.
• The findings provide insights into the structure-property relationships of POSS-copolymer systems.
• These hybrid fibers show significant potential for diverse biomedical applications.