Electrospun nanofibrous nonwovens owe their attractiveness for tissue engineering to their structural similarity to the extracellular matrix of natural tissues. They can serve as scaffolds for cell culture, as drug release systems or modern wound dressings. Nanofibers made of polycaprolactone and gelatin combine good mechanical properties of synthetic polymer and bioactivity of natural protein. Gelatin is a derivative of collagen – the most abundant polymer found in human tissues, its presence stimulates cells to grow.
Application of mixture of acetic acid and formic acid as a solvent, reduces production cost and eliminates the use of highly toxic perfluorinated alcohols such as hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP), however the structure of polymer solution becomes noticeably emulsive. This results in non-uniform distribution of individual components in the fibre, what as it has been confirmed by preliminary biodegradation study induces faster leaching of gelatin from fibres in an environment of a living organism. The need to stabilize gelatin in bicomponent fibres requires the use of proper crosslinking agent.
This research project was an assessment of the effect of crosslinking conditions on internal structure, morphology and properties of bicomponent nanofibres made from polycaprolactone (PCL) with an addition of gelatin, obtained by electrospinning from alternative solvents system.
Thanks to the results of this project, the influence of the conditions of chemical crosslinking of gelatin in bicomponent nonwovens on the properties of these materials was determined. The important and achieved goal of the project was to optimize the conditions of the gelatin crosslinking process. Optimal sought conditions are those with which a satisfactory degree of crosslinking can be achieved with a minimum amount of time and money, while being sure of the absence of cytotoxicity. Project results are crucial for the use of such nonwovens for medical purposes.
The obtained results were presented as a poster at five international conferences and in a research article Crosslinking of Gelatin in Bicomponent Electrospun Fibres published in an open access journal – Materials. [https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14123391]
