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Fabrication of Polyurethane/Polylactide (PU/PLDL) Nanofibers Using Electrospinning Method
Marta Lech1, Joanna Mastalska-Popławska1, Jadwiga Laska1
1Faculty of Materials Science and Ceramics, AGH University of Science and Technology, Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Kraków, Poland.
Materials (Basel, Switzerland)
|June 2, 2021
Summary
This study details electrospun polyurethane/polylactide fibers for regenerative medicine. Dichloromethane (DCM) addition improved fiber alignment and reduced diameter, optimizing scaffold fabrication.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Tissue Engineering
Background:
- Biodegradable synthetic polymers like polylactide and aliphatic polyurethane are crucial for regenerative medicine, particularly in implants and tissue engineering scaffolds.
- Electrospinning is a key technique for fabricating fibrous biomaterials with controlled structures.
- Understanding the influence of solvents and diluents on polymer solution properties is vital for optimizing electrospinning.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the fabrication of electrospun polyurethane/polylactide (PU/PLA) fibers.
- To examine the effect of dimethylformamide (DMF) solvent and acetone/dichloromethane (DCM) diluents on rheological properties and electrospinning behavior.
- To optimize the electrospinning process for producing fibers suitable for tissue engineering applications.
Main Methods:
- Rheological characterization of PU/PLA mixtures with varying diluent concentrations.
- Electrospinning of PU/PLA solutions using DMF as a solvent and acetone/DCM as diluents.
- Microscopic analysis to determine fiber diameter and morphology.
Main Results:
- PU/PLA mixtures exhibited non-Newtonian behavior, significantly influenced by diluent type and concentration.
- DCM addition decreased viscosity for high-PU content solutions but increased it for high-PLA content solutions.
- Acetone addition decreased viscosity for high-PLA content solutions.
- Optimized electrospinning produced fibers ranging from 250 nm to 1 µm.
- Increased DCM concentration led to thinner and more aligned fibers, while pure acetone impaired the process.
Conclusions:
- Diluent selection critically impacts the rheological properties and electrospinning outcomes of PU/PLA mixtures.
- Dichloromethane is effective in producing thinner, more aligned electrospun fibers compared to acetone.
- The findings provide a basis for tailoring PU/PLA fiber fabrication for specific tissue engineering requirements.
