Poly (Vinyl Alcohol)/Chitosan/Akermanite Nanofibrous Scaffolds Prepared by Electrospinning

Electrospinning, as an effective method for preparation of scaffolds for cell growth templates, has attracted great attention. In this study electrospinning was used to prepare poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/chitosan scaffolds for bone tissue engineering. In order to improve the bioactivity and mechanical properties of the fibrous scaffolds, 0.5, 1 and 2 wt% akermanite, a calcium silicate based bioceramic, was added to the electrospinning solution. The morphology of the electrospun scaffolds was observed by using field emission-scanning electron microscopy and their mechanical strengths were analyzed by tension tests. The results showed that the formed scaffolds consisted of fibers with less than 100 nm diameter. In the case of the composite containing 1 wt% akermanite, the fibers were more homogeneous and no beads were formed during electrospinning, while in the composite containing 2 wt% akermanite a considerable number of beads were formed which we attribute to an improper viscosity of the electrospinning solution. Among the different compositions, the composite containing 1 wt% akermanite showed higher ultimate tensile strength (10.6 MPa) and fracture strain (9%). These values were increased by crosslinking the scaffold by reaction with glutaraldehyde, up to 13 MPa and 9.4%, respectively.