Preparation and performance of nano-hydroxyapatite reinforced polycaprolactone/gelatin fibrous membrane for guided tissue regeneration

Guided tissue regeneration (GTR) membrane plays pivotal roles in GTR treatment. In current study, polycaprolactone (PCL), gelatin (Gel) and nano-hydroxyapatite (n-HA) were selected as raw materials to prepare PCL/Gel/n-HA fibrous GTR membranes reinforced with different n-HA content by electrospinning technique. The effects of n-HA content on the morphology, mechanical strength, hydrophilicity and in vitro degradation rate of the three fibrous membranes were investigated. The results showed that the fibrous membranes owned good fibrous structure, and the fiber diameter was mainly distributed between 200~400nm. The diameter of the fibers increased significantly after crosslinking. With the increase of n-HA content, the aggregation of n-HA particles in the fibers and on the surface of fibers could be observed. The mechanical test showed that the tensile strength and elongation at break of the fibrous membranes increased with the n-HA content. The highest tensile strength and elongation of the PCL/Gel/n-HA membrane were 9.18MPa and 180%, respectively, when the weight percentage of n-HA was 15%. In addition, the incorporation of n-HA reduced the degradation rates of the fabricated fibrous membranes. The excellent mechanical properties and proper degradation rate of the prepared PCL/Gel/n-HA fibrous GTR membrane can meet the needs of clinical requirements. © 2020, Chemical Industry Press. All right reserved.