Characterization of Polydioxanone in Near-Field Electrospinning.

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Engineering
• Tissue Engineering
• Nanofabrication

Background:

• Electrospinning is a versatile technique for creating fibrous scaffolds for biomedical uses.
• Near-field electrospinning (NFES) offers enhanced control over fiber deposition by reducing the working distance.
• Polydioxanone (PDO) is a biocompatible polymer suitable for tissue engineering scaffolds.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate a 3D-printed near-field electrospinning device for fabricating polydioxanone (PDO) microfibers.
• To characterize the influence of processing parameters on PDO microfiber characteristics.
• To create 3D PDO templates for guiding human fibroblast cell alignment.

Main Methods:

• A MakerFarm Prusa i3v 3D printer was adapted for near-field electrospinning.
• Polydioxanone (PDO) microfibers were fabricated by varying air gap, polymer concentration, translational velocity, needle gauge, and applied voltage.
• Fiber diameter, crystallinity, uniformity, and stacking were analyzed. Human gingival fibroblast alignment was assessed on 3D templates.

Main Results:

• PDO microfiber diameter positively correlated with polymer concentration, applied voltage, and needle gauge.
• Microfiber diameter inversely correlated with translational velocity and air gap distance.
• Increased translational velocity enhanced fiber crystallinity and reduced diameter variability. Tailored 3D PDO templates successfully guided fibroblast alignment.

Conclusions:

• Near-field electrospinning (NFES) using a 3D printer enables precise fabrication of PDO microfibers.
• Processing parameters can be optimized to control microfiber diameter, uniformity, and crystallinity.
• NFES-produced PDO scaffolds can be tailored to guide cell alignment, showing promise for biomedical applications.