Fabrication and characterization of composite electrospun scaffolds for tissue engineering applications
Investigator: René Morelle (Bachelor Student)
Betreuer: Dr. Liliana Liverani, Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Aldo R. Boccaccini
Electrospinning is a technique useful for the obtainment of submicrometric and nanofibers, resembling the morphology of the native extracellular matrix. The use of benign, e.g. non toxic, solvents for electrospinning is becoming the focus of several researches [1]. In this project a new family of electrospun scaffolds will be obtained starting from a solution of neat poly (epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL) and its blends with natural biopolymers dissolved in benign solvents. Composite electrospun fibers will be obtained after adding bioactive glass (nano)particles of different chemical compositions to these polymeric solutions. Morphological, chemical and mechanical characterizations will be performed on the obtained scaffolds.
[1] Liverani, L., and Boccaccini, A. R., Versatile production of poly (Epsilon-Caprolactone) fibers by Electrospinning using benign solvents. Nanomaterials 6, no. 4 (2016): 75.