Effects of heat-treatment on surface morphologies, mechanical properties of nanofibrous poly(propylene carbonate) biocomposites and its cell culture

• Published in: Colloids and surfaces. A, Physicochemical and engineering aspects Vol. 492; pp. 138 - 143
• Main Authors: Park, Ji-young, Lee, Eun-Sook, Amna, Touseef, Jang, Yeonju, Park, Dong Hyup, Kim, Byoung-Suhk
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 05.03.2016
• Subjects: Biocomposite; Biotechnology; Carbonates; Cell culture; Electrospinning; Heat treatment; Mechanical properties; Mechanical property; Morphology; Nanofiber; Nanofibers; Nanostructure; Poly(propylene carbonate); Cell culture; Nanofiber; Biocomposite; Poly(propylene carbonate); Mechanical property; Morphology
• ISSN: 0927-7757; 1873-4359
• DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2015.11.075

[Display omitted] •PPC nanofibers exhibited soft rubber-like features.•Mechanics of PPC nanofibers were dramatically improved after heat-treatment.•PPC/PLA composite nanofibers showed topographically peculiar morphologies.•Biomedical applications as a scaffold tissue engineering. We report controlled surface morphologies, mechanical properties and cell culture of biomimetic pure poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC) and PPC/poly(lactic acid) (PLA) composite nanofibers prepared by sol–gel electrospinning. Pure PPC nanofibers exhibited soft rubber-like features with lower mechanical properties (elastic modulus ∼59.7MPa, tensile strength ∼6.2MPa), while the mechanical properties of as-spun PPC nanofibers were dramatically improved after heat-treatments at 60°C. Furthermore, the PPC/PLA composite nanofibers exhibited topographically peculiar morphologies (in particular, an embossing-like surface protrusions), probably due to poor miscibility between PPC and PLA. CCK-8 assay results of cultured myoblasts clarified that pure PPC and PPC/PLA composite nanofibers were nontoxic to the cells, which therefore, suggest them to be used in biomedical applications as a scaffold for tissue engineering.