Electrospun Membranes Based on Polycaprolactone, Nano-Hydroxyapatite and Metronidazole

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Polymer Science
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Polycaprolactone (PCL) is a versatile biodegradable polymer.
• Developing advanced materials for tissue engineering is crucial.
• Nano-hydroxyapatite (nHAP) and metronidazole (MET) offer unique properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize novel electrospun membranes (EMs) based on PCL.
• To incorporate nano-hydroxyapatite (nHAP) and metronidazole (MET) into PCL EMs.
• To evaluate the structural, mechanical, and morphological properties of the developed EMs.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of nHAP with a mean diameter of 34 nm.
• Fabrication of PCL-based electrospun membranes (EMs) with varying nHAP and MET content.
• Structural characterization using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and FTIR-ATR.
• Mechanical property assessment (force at maximum load, Young's modulus, tensile strength).
• Morphological analysis using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM).

Main Results:

• PCL membranes exhibited the highest mechanical properties.
• Mechanical properties decreased with the addition of nHAP and MET.
• Stiffness increased with 5 wt.% nHAP addition.
• SEM revealed randomly oriented, bead-free fibers forming a porous structure.
• Fiber diameter ranged from 2-16 µm, increasing with nHAP and decreasing with MET.

Conclusions:

• The developed PCL/nHAP/MET electrospun membranes possess promising characteristics.
• These EMs could be suitable for guided bone regeneration applications.
• Further research may explore their potential in broader tissue engineering applications.