A Nanofibrous Composite Scaffold of PCL/Hydroxyapatite-chitosan/PVA Prepared by Electrospinning

Tissue engineering scaffolds produced by electrospinning feature a structural similarity with the natural extracellular matrices. In this study, for the first time, poly(E-caprolactone) (PCL)/hydroxyapatite (HA) and chitosan/poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) were simultaneously electrospun from two different syringes and mixed on a rotating drum to prepare homogeneous nanofibrous composite scaffold. The concentration of the spinning solutions and the ratios of PCL/HA-chitosan/PVA were varied and adjusted to acquire nanofibres with narrow diameter distribution. It was found that the PCL/HA spun fibres became thick and non-uniform in diameter by decreasing the solution concentration and voltage, and yet the effect of flow rate was negligible. Meanwhile, the diameters of chitosan/PVA fibres decreased and became more uniform by decreasing the solution concentration and tip-to-target distance. Furthermore, HA nanocrystals reinforce the scaffold and increase its mechanical strength, though by changing its mechanical behaviour make it more brittle. SEM morphology of the PCL/HA electrospun nanocomposite revealed that HA nanocrystals were kept suspended in solution during the electrospinning process, and laid inside the PCL nanofibres. This feature may provide a mechanism for controlled release of HA nanoparticles in cell culture studies. It was assumed that the nanofibrous composite scaffold of electrospun PCL/HA-chitosan/PVA can potentially be used for the osteogenic differentiation of stem cells.