Electrostatic Patterning of Nanofibrous Microcapsules for Three-Dimensional Cell Culture

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Tissue Engineering

Background:

• Three-dimensional (3D) biomaterial scaffolds with controlled geometry and surface nanoarchitecture are crucial for advancing polymer processing in tissue engineering.
• Conventional electrospinning has limitations in reproducing defined 3D shapes and achieving high pattern fidelity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a scalable processing method for biodegradable scaffolds with precisely controlled microstructure and geometry.
• To utilize phase separation-assisted electrospray for scaffold fabrication.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of poly(lactic acid) microcapsules with tunable diameters and porous nanofibrous surfaces using controlled humidity.
• Deposition of microcapsules onto conductive molds to create 2D and 3D scaffold shapes.
• Utilized simple electrospray equipment and static molds, avoiding complex collectors or moving stages.

Main Results:

• Scaffolds replicated mold features with resolutions down to 200 μm and achieved thicknesses up to 600 μm.
• Nanofibrous microcapsule surfaces promoted strong adhesion and metabolic activity of HepG2 cells.
• Cellular penetration into deeper scaffold regions was limited to approximately 80 μm.

Conclusions:

• Electrospray-mediated microcapsule deposition is a practical polymer-processing approach.
• This method integrates nanofibrous surface formation with mold-defined shaping.
• It offers a reproducible and scalable fabrication method for structurally precise, biologically compatible 3D scaffolds.