Nitrogen-Doped Diamond-like Coatings for Long-Term Enhanced Cell Adhesion on Electrospun Poly(ε-caprolactone)...

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Tissue Engineering
• Surface Engineering

Background:

• Electrospun poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) scaffolds are crucial in tissue engineering but suffer from poor cell adhesion.
• Nitrogen-doped diamond-like carbon (N-DLC) coatings are known to improve implant biocompatibility and functionality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate and characterize N-DLC coatings on electrospun PCL scaffolds using pulsed vacuum arc deposition (PVAD).
• To investigate the impact of varying nitrogen pressures during N-DLC deposition on PCL scaffold properties.
• To evaluate the effect of N-DLC coating on cell adhesion, proliferation, and long-term stability.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of N-DLC coatings on PCL scaffolds via pulsed vacuum arc deposition (PVAD) at different nitrogen pressures.
• Characterization of scaffold morphology, mechanical strength, and physico-chemical properties.
• Assessment of human mesenchymal stem cell (MMSC) adhesion and proliferation on coated scaffolds.
• Evaluation of coating stability and cell adhesion after 6 months of storage.

Main Results:

• N-DLC coating deposition increased nitrogen content by up to 10-fold and surface roughness by 2-fold with increasing nitrogen pressure.
• Modified PCL scaffolds exhibited significantly enhanced adhesion and proliferation of human mesenchymal stem cells (MMSCs).
• The improved MMSC adhesion on N-DLC coated PCL scaffolds was maintained after 6 months of storage under ambient conditions.

Conclusions:

• PVAD is an effective technique for applying N-DLC coatings to electrospun PCL scaffolds.
• N-DLC coating significantly enhances the biological performance of PCL scaffolds by improving cell adhesion and proliferation.
• The stability of N-DLC coatings ensures the long-term efficacy of modified PCL scaffolds for tissue engineering applications.