Electroactive poly(vinylidene fluoride) electrospun fiber mats coated with polyaniline and polypyrrole for tissue regeneration applications

Electrospun membranes with an active response are playing an increasing role in tissue regeneration by improving the ability of the materials to mimic the cellular microenvironment during cell culture. In this context, this work reports on the development of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) electrospun fibers coated with poly aniline (PANI) and with polypyrrole (PPy). Both PANI and PPy successfully coated the fibers, with the surface electrical conductivity of the coatings reaching values of sigma = 1.19 S.m(- 1) for PVDF-PPy and sigma = 3.84 x 10(-3) S. m(-1) for PVDF-PANI. Furthermore, the PVDF samples became hydrophilic upon their coating with either PANI or PPy, the fiber mats adsorbing the water drop after a few seconds. The coated samples remain biocompatible, resulting in a slight improvement in the metabolic activity of L929 fibroblasts.