ElectrospinningHomogeneous Nanofibrous Poly(propylenecarbonate)/Gelatin Composite Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering.

Nanofibrouspoly(propylene carbonate)(PPC)/gelatin composite scaffoldswere fabricated by the electrospinning process and characterized fortissue engineering applications. Using trifluoroethanol (TFE) as asolvent and at low mass content of gelatin, nanofibrous scaffold PPC/gelatinmembranes with improved wettability and hydrophilicity were produced,despite the fact that PPC is hydrophobic. However, phase separationoccurred when the mass content of gelatin was higher than 5%, resultingin a nonuniform fibrous structure and some large splash defects. Inspiredby the effect of pH on the behavior of dissolved gelatin, a smallamount of acetic acid was added to the PPC/gelatin solution, whichenabled the originally turbid solution to become clear immediately.The results showed that the miscibility of PPC and gelatin was enhancedby acetic acid. Using the treated solution, homogeneous PPC/gelatinnanofibers with a smooth surface and a more uniform diameter wereobtained, and they performed better in wettability and mechanicaltests. Cell culture experiments showed that fibroblast cells had morefavorable interactions on the PPC/gelatin composite scaffolds thanthose of pure PPC membranes. Furthermore, the introduction of aceticacid did not hinder cell growth and proliferation on the modifiedmembrane. The results of this study suggest the potential use of electrospunPPC/gelatin composite scaffolds in the tissue engineering field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]