Surface Segregation Assessment in Poly(ε-caprolactone)-poly(ethylene glycol) Multiblock Copolymer Films

The ability to predict the in vivo performance of multiblock-copolymer-based biomaterials is crucial for their applicability in the biomedical field. In this work, XPS analysis of PCL-PEG copolymers was carried out, as well as morphological and wettability evaluations by SEM and CA measurements, respectively. XPS analysis on films equilibrated in PBS demonstrated a further enrichment in the PEG component on the surface. Copolymer films obtained by casting using different solvents showed a dependence in segregation according to the solvent employed. Cell adhesion tests demonstrated the importance of copolymer segregation and rearrangement in a wet environment, with a dependence of these phenomena on the copolymer molecular weight.