Preparation and cell compatibility evaluation of chitosan/collagen composite scaffolds using amino acids as crosslinking bridges

In this study, a novel freeze‐gelation method instead of the conventional freeze‐drying method was used to fabricate porous chitosan/collagen‐based composite scaffolds for skin‐related tissue engineering applications. To improve the performance of chitosan/collagen composite scaffolds, we added 1‐ethyl‐3‐(3‐dimethylaminopropyl)‐carbodiimide (EDC) and amino acids (including alanine, glycine, and glutamic acid) in the fabrication procedure of the composite scaffolds, in which amino acid molecules act as crosslinking bridges to enhance the EDC‐mediated crosslinking. This novel combination enhanced the tensile strength of the scaffolds from 0.70 N/g for uncrosslinked scaffolds to 2.2 N/g for crosslinked ones; the crosslinked scaffolds also exhibited slower degradation rates. The hydrophilicity of the scaffolds was also significantly enhanced by the addition of amino acids to the scaffolds. Cell compatibility was demonstrated by the in vitro culture of human skin fibroblasts on the scaffolds. The fibroblasts attached and proliferated well on the chitosan/collagen composite scaffolds, especially the one with glutamic acid molecules as crosslinking bridges, whereas cells did not grow on the chitosan scaffolds. Our results suggest that the collagen‐modified chitosan scaffolds with glutamic acid molecules as crosslinking bridges are very promising biomaterials for skin‐related tissue engineering applications because of their enhanced tensile strength and improved cell compatibility with skin fibroblasts. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2007     

Polysaccharide‐based artificial extracellular matrix: Preparation and characterization of three‐dimensional,macroporous chitosan,and heparin composite scaffold

Scaffold‐guided tissue engineering based on synthetic and natural occurring polymers has gained many interests in recent year. In this study, the development of a chitosan‐heparin artificial extracellular matrix (AECM) is reported. Three‐dimensional, macroporous composite AECMs composed of heparin (Hep) and chitosan (Chito) were prepared by an interpolyelectrolyte complex/lyophilization method. The Chito‐Hep composite AECMs were, respectively, crosslinked with glutaraldehyde, as well as cocrosslinked with N,N‐(3‐dimethylaminopropyl)‐N′‐ethyl carbodiimide (EDC/NHS) and N‐hydroxysuccinimide (NHS). The crosslinking reactions were examined by FT‐IR analysis. In physiological buffer solution (PBS), the EDC/NHS‐crosslinked Chito‐Hep composite AECM showed a relative lower water retention ratio than its glutaraldehyde‐crosslinked counterparts. The EDC/NHS‐crosslinked Chito‐Hep composite AECMs showed excellent biocompatibility, according to the results of the in vitro cytotoxic test. This result suggested that the EDC/NHS‐crosslinked Chito‐Hep composite AECMs might be a potential biomaterial for scaffold‐guided tissue engineering applications. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Polysaccharide‐based artificial extracellular matrix: Preparation and characterization of three‐dimensional,macroporous chitosan and chondroitin sulfate composite scaffolds

Scaffold‐guided tissue engineering based on synthetic and natural occurring polymers has gained much interest in recent years. In this article, the development of a polysaccharide‐based artificial extracellular matrix (AECM) is reported. Three‐dimensional, macroporous composite AECMs composed of chondroitin sulfate (ChS) and chitosan (Chito) were prepared by an interpolyelectrolyte complex/lyophilization method. The ChS–Chito composite AECMs were crosslinked with glutaraldehyde and calcium ions (Ca²⁺) and cocrosslinked with N,N‐(3‐dimethylaminopropyl)‐N′‐ethyl carbodiimide (EDC) and N‐hydroxysuccinimide (NHS). The crosslinking reactions were examined with Fourier transform infrared analysis. Glutaraldehyde and Ca²⁺ crosslinked with Chito and ChS, respectively, to produce different types of ChS–Chito semi‐interpenetrated networks. In contrast, EDC/NHS crosslinked with both Chito and ChS to produce ChS–Chito connected networks. In physiological buffer solutions, the Ca²⁺‐crosslinked ChS–Chito composite AECMs showed a lower swelling ratio than their EDC/NHS‐ and glutaraldehyde‐crosslinked counterparts. The ChS–Chito composite AECMs showed excellent antibacterial capability and biocompatibility according to the results of the in vitro antibacterial test and cytotoxic assay. This result suggested that the ChS–Chito composite AECMs might be a potential biomaterial for scaffold‐guided tissue‐engineering applications. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2006     

Development and Characterization of Novel Biomimetic Composite Scaffolds Based on Bioglass‐Collagen‐Hyaluronic Acid‐Phosphatidylserine for Tissue Engineering Applications

Summary: Biomimetic scaffolds are appealing products for the repair of bone defects using tissue engineering strategies. The present study prepared novel biomimetic composite scaffolds with similar composite to natural bone using bioactive glass, collagen, hyaluronic acid, and phosphatidylserine. The microstructure, swelling ratio, biodegradability, and biomineralization characteristic of the composite scaffolds with and without hyaluronic acid and phosphatidylserine were compared and analyzed by SEM/EDAX, XRD, and FTIR techniques and in vitro test, and the properties can be influenced by 1‐ethyl‐3‐(3‐dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide (EDC)/N‐hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) crosslinking. The optimized properties of the crosslinked composite scaffolds observed in this study show the possibility of their use of bioactive and bioresorbable scaffolds in bone tissue engineering.

SEM micrographs of BG‐COL‐HYA‐PS composite scaffolds after immersion in SBF for 1 d.     

Effect of crosslinking method on collagen fiber-fibroblast interactions

Collagen, the major structural protein of the extracellular matrix in animals, is a versatile biomaterial used in various tissue engineering applications. Cross-linking influences the mechanical properties, resorption kinetics, and biocompatibility of collagen-based biomaterials. In this study, we evaluated the effects of crosslinking on collagen fiber-fibroblast interactions in vitro. Collagen fibers were left untreated or crosslinked by ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, dehydrothermal (DHT) treatment (3 or 5 days), or hexamethylenediisocyanate (HMDIC) exposure. The initial attachment, proliferation (through 8 days), and morphology of human dermal fibroblasts were evaluated on control and crosslinked bundles of 200 collagen fibers in vitro. Initial attachment (number of fibroblasts at day 0) was increased on UV and DHT5-treated collagen fiber bundles. Fibroblast proliferation was similar for control, UV crosslinked, and DHT crosslinked fibers. In contrast, fibroblast attachment was significantly decreased and proliferation was delayed on HMDIC crosslinked fibers. These results, coupled with our previous studies, suggest that UV crosslinking of collagen fibers provides a combination of biocompatibility, mechanical properties, and strength retention suitable for various tissue engineering applications. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 63: 1493–1498, 1997     

Glutaraldehyde‐crosslinked chitosan/hydroxyapatite bone repair scaffold and its application as drug carrier for icariin

Chitosan/hydroxyapatite (CS/HA) bone repair scaffolds crosslinked by glutaraldehyde (GA) were prepared. Characterization of morphology, structure, mechanical property, and porosity of scaffolds were evaluated. The influences of CS viscosity, HA content, and crosslinking degree on properties of scaffolds were discussed. SEM images showed that CS/HA scaffolds were porous with short rod‐like HA particles dispersing evenly in CS substrate. When [η]_CS = 5.75 × 10^?4, HA content = 65%, and crosslinking degree = 10%, the resulting CS/HA scaffolds had a flexural strength of 20 MPa and porosity of 60%, which could meet the requirements of bone repair materials. The scaffolds were used as drug carriers for icariin, and the impacts of loading time and crosslinking degree of scaffolds on drug‐loading dose were discussed. The suitable loading time was 24 h and it would be better to keep crosslinking degree no more than 10%. The drug release behavior demonstrated that the icariin‐loading CS/HA scaffolds could achieve basic drug sustained release effect. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 130: 1539–1547, 2013     

Pluronics as crosslinking agents for collagen: novel amphiphilic hydrogels

A series of Pluronic samples (L61, L121, F68, F108) were investigated as collagen crosslinking agents to determine their ability to improve the Young's modulus of a collagen hydrogel, while simultaneously serving as surfactants for single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). The crosslinked collagen matrices were prepared by blending type I bovine collagen with either Pluronics or SWNTs dispersed in an aqueous Pluronic solution and crosslinked utilizing carbodiimide chemistry. The resulting material was a crosslinked collagen hydrogel with sufficient mechanical strength to be manipulated and transferred without damaging the matrix. Differential scanning calorimetry confirmed a change in the denaturation temperature for hydrogels prepared using Pluronic or Pluronic/SWNT solutions. Water uptake analysis confirmed the crosslinked matrices to be hydrogels. These collagen hydrogels produced with Pluronics as the crosslinking agents exhibited a Young's modulus 3 to 9 times greater than collagen hydrogels produced in the absence of any crosslinking agent, regardless of polymer molecular weight. However, non‐covalent incorporation of SWNTs was not found to affect the Young's modulus of the resulting collagen hydrogels at the incorporation levels achieved with the Pluronics surfactants. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry     

Evaluation of alginate dialdehyde as a suitable crosslinker on modifying porcine acellular dermal matrix: The aggregation of collagenous fibers

Porcine acellular dermal matrix (PADM) has been investigated widely as a natural biomaterial. However, the success of PADM has been limited by insufficient stability and poor physicochemical properties. In our work, alginate dialdehyde (ADA) with various oxidation degrees (OD = 25%, 45%, and 65%) were explored to modify PADM, while glutaraldehyde (GA), dehydrathermal treatment (DHT), and carbodiimide (EDC) were used as the control. The efficacy of ADA on modifying PADM increased along with the rising of oxidation degree. The ADA (OD = 65% and 45%) groups showed better mechanical and thermal stability, crosslink density, and resistance to enzymatic degradation than ADA (OD = 25%) and DHT + EDC group. Meanwhile, the structure of PADM crosslinked by ADA (OD = 45% and 65%) were maintained largely. Further, ADA (OD = 45%) group revealed better cytocompatibility than DHT + EDC, ADA (OD = 65%) and GA group. Considering the balance of cytocompatibility and physicochemical behavior, ADA (OD = 45%) was more suitable as a natural derived crosslinker to modify PADM in tissue engineering. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43550.     

Properties of a poly(L‐lactic acid)/poly(D‐lactic acid) stereocomplex and the stereocomplex crosslinked with triallyl isocyanurate by irradiation

A poly(L ‐lactic acid) (PLLA)/poly(D ‐lactic acid) (PDLA) stereocomplex was prepared from an equimolar mixture of commercial‐grade PLLA and PDLA by melt processing for the first time. Crosslinked samples were obtained by the radiation‐induced crosslinking of the poly(lactic acid) (PLA) stereocomplex mixed with triallyl isocyanurate (TAIC). The PLA stereocomplex and its crosslinked samples were characterized by their gel behavior, thermal and mechanical measurements, and enzymatic degradation. The crosslinking density of the crosslinked stereocomplex was described as the gel fraction, which increased with the TAIC content and radiation dose. The maximum crosslinking density was obtained in crosslinked samples of PLA/3% TAIC and PLA/5% TAIC irradiated at doses higher than 30 kGy. The stable crosslinking networks that formed in the irradiated PLA/TAIC substantially suppressed the segmental mobility for the crystallization of single crystals as well as stereocomplex crystals. The crosslinking network also significantly improved the mechanical properties and inhibited the enzymatic degradation of crosslinked PLA/3% TAIC. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2008     

Synergistic effects of crosslinking and chitosan molecular weight on the microstructure,molecular mobility,thermal and sorption properties of porous chitosan/gelatin/hyaluronic acid scaffolds

In this study, synergistic effects of crosslinking and chitosan molecular weight on the microstructure, molecular mobility, thermal, and sorption properties of porous chitosan/gelatin/hyaluronic acid hybrid foams are reported. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy has been utilized to confirm the covalent attachment of hyaluronic acid to gelatin and chitosan, and covalent chemical crosslinking between gelatin and chitosan. Detailed image analysis of scanning electron microscopy images of the porous scaffold hydrids reveal that the pore size of the materials formulated using either low‐ or high‐molecular‐weight chitosan increases significantly upon crosslinking using ethyl(dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide/N‐Hydroxysuccinimide. These microstructural changes are even more pronounced for the crosslinked hybrid scaffolds formulated using low‐molecular‐weight chitosan, highlighting a synergistic effect between crosslinking and the use of low‐molecular‐weight chitosan. Results obtained using differential scanning calorimetry demonstrate a significant reduction in molecular mobility reduction in molecular mobility for crosslinked scaffolds formed using high‐molecular‐weight chitosan compared to non‐crosslinked hybrids and crosslinked hybrids formulated using low‐molecular‐weight chitosan. Correspondingly, dynamic vapor sorption evidenced significantly lower water vapor sorption for crosslinked scaffolds formulated using high‐molecular‐weight chitosan. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017 , 134, 44772.     

Preparation and characterization of collagen‐based composite conduit for peripheral nerve regeneration

Collagen‐based composite nerve conduit scaffold was prepared by freeze‐drying steam‐extrusion method and modified chemically with glutaraldehyde (GTA) by adding chitosan into collagen. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed that the collagen and chitosan are certainly crosslinked through GTA. It was observed under scanning electron microscope that the modified nerve conduit material is a porous three‐dimensional crosslinked structure and the quantity ratio of the collagen to chitosan has influence on the morphology. The cell proliferation experiment results showed that the collagen‐based composite scaffold prompts the adhesion and proliferation of cells, but as the chitosan increasing, the cell proliferation decreased slightly. The swelling property, the collagenase degradation, and the mechanical property of the scaffold are tested at the quantity ratios of collagen to chitosan 4 : 3, 3 : 1, and 4 : 1 and crosslinking time 0.5 and 1.0 h. The experiments show that the stability of the scaffold is enhanced with decreasing the quantity ratio of collagen to chitosan and increasing crosslinking time. Through the experimental investigations, the modifying technique parameters are discussed and the scaffold exhibits better physical and chemical properties at the quantity ratio of collagen to chitosan 3 : 1 and crosslinking time 0.5 h. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Study on the properties of crosslinking of poly(ethylene oxide) and hydroxyapatite–poly(ethylene oxide) composite

This study covers the crosslinking of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and its composite with calcium hydroxyapatite (HA), their mechanical and swelling properties, and morphology. Sheets of the composites of PEO (two different grades with M_v: 5 × 10⁶ and 2 × 10⁵) and HA and neat PEO were prepared by compression molding. The prepared composite and PEO (0.1‐mm‐thick) sheets were crosslinked with exposure of UV‐irradiation in the presence of a photoinitiator, acetophenone (AP). This simple method for crosslinking, induced by UV‐irradiation in the presence of AP, yielded PEO with gel content up to 90%. Gel content, equilibrium swelling ratio, and mechanical and morphological properties of the low molecular weight polyethylene oxide (LMPEO)–HA crosslinked and uncrosslinked composites were evaluated. Although the inclusion of HA into LMPEO inhibits the extent of crosslinking, the LMPEO–HA composite with 20% HA by weight shows the highest gel content, with appreciable equilibrium swelling and mechanical strength. The growth of HA in simulated body fluid solutions on fractured surfaces of LMPEO and also LMPEO–HA was found to be very favorable within short times. The dimensional stability of these samples was found to be satisfactory after swelling and deposition experiments. The good compatibility between the filler hydroxyapatite and poly(ethylene oxide) makes this composite a useful tissue‐adhesive material. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 90: 488–496, 2003     

Corneal Stromal Cell Growth on Gelatin/Chondroitin Sulfate Scaffolds Modified at Different NHS/EDC Molar Ratios

A nanoscale modification strategy that can incorporate chondroitin sulfate (CS) into the cross-linked porous gelatin materials has previously been proposed to give superior performance for designed corneal keratocyte scaffolds. The purpose of this work was to further investigate the influence of carbodiimide chemistry on the characteristics and biofunctionalities of gelatin/CS scaffolds treated with varying N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS)/1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethyl aminopropyl) carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC) molar ratios (0–1) at a constant EDC concentration of 10 mM. Results of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and dimethylmethylene blue assays consistently indicated that when the NHS to EDC molar ratio exceeds a critical level (i.e., 0.5), the efficiency of carbodiimide-mediated biomaterial modification is significantly reduced. With the optimum NHS/EDC molar ratio of 0.5, chemical treatment could achieve relatively high CS content in the gelatin scaffolds, thereby enhancing the water content, glucose permeation, and fibronectin adsorption. Live/Dead assays and interleukin-6 mRNA expression analyses demonstrated that all the test samples have good cytocompatibility without causing toxicity and inflammation. In the molar ratio range of NHS to EDC from 0 to 0.5, the cell adhesion ratio and proliferation activity on the chemically modified samples significantly increased, which is attributed to the increasing CS content. Additionally, the materials with highest CS content (0.143 ± 0.007 nmol/10 mg scaffold) showed the greatest stimulatory effect on the biosynthetic activity of cultivated keratocytes. These findings suggest that a positive correlation is noticed between the NHS to EDC molar ratio and the CS content in the biopolymer matrices, thereby greatly affecting the corneal stromal cell growth.     

Gellan–adipic acid blends crosslinked by means of a dehydrothermal treatment

Blends of gellan gum (GE) and adipic acid (ADA), at various ratios, were manufactured in the form of films by casting from aqueous solutions and crosslinked by a dehydrothermal treatment (DHT). The materials, before and after DHT, were characterized by both physicochemical tests and cellular adhesion and growth on the film surfaces. The total reflection and spotlight Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and optical and scanning electron microscopy showed the presence of both GE‐rich and ADA‐rich regions and the formation of ester groups after DHT. Differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) showed that the crosslinking by DHT made the materials more thermally stable. The swelling in water, which diminished in the films subjected to DHT, confirmed that the crosslinking enhanced the whole stability of the material. DMA also showed that the behavior of the GE–ADA blends was quite similar to that of some living tissues, such as the skin. The cell cultures indicated that the materials, especially that with a 6 : 10 ADA‐to‐GE ratio, were very able to promote cellular adhesion and proliferation. In conclusion, the GE–ADA crosslinked blends appeared very suitable for a use as biomaterials; in particular, the cell cultures indicated that they might be useful as scaffolds for tissue reconstruction. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Synthesis and cytocompatibility of collagen/hydroxyapatite nanocomposite scaffold for bone tissue engineering

Collagen/hydroxyapatite nanocomposite scaffolds were prepared by in situ precipitation and freeze‐drying approach. The synthesized collagen/hydroxyapatite nanocomposites were characterized using various modalities. It was revealed that the inorganic phase in the nanocomposite was carbonate‐substituted hydroxyapatite with low crystallinity. Morphology studies showed the uniform distribution of hydroxyapatite particles in the collagen hydrogel. In addition, hydroxyapatite particles were gradually becoming irregular enough and the surface morphology had more wrinkles with the increase of inorganic component. Morphology, mechanical properties and cell biocompatibility of the prepared nanocomposite scaffolds were evaluated. The scaffolds presented a well‐developed macropore structure with a pore size ranging from 100 to 200 μm and the pore size of scaffold can also be regulated by changing the organic/inorganic weight ratio. Furthermore, the growth of MG63 cells on scaffolds showed they could significantly promote the proliferation of cells and could be potential candidate for bone engineering applications. POLYM. COMPOS., 81–90, 2016. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Chitosan/gelatin porous bone scaffolds made by crosslinking treatment and freeze‐drying technology: Effects of crosslinking durations on the porous structure,compressive strength,and in vitro cytotoxicity

In this study, freezing was used to separate a solute (polymer) and solvent (deionized water). The polymer in the ice crystals was then crosslinked with solvents, and this diminished the linear pores to form a porous structure. Gelatin and chitosan were blended and frozen, after which crosslinking agents were added, and the whole was frozen again and then freeze‐dried to form chitosan/gelatin porous bone scaffolds. Stereomicroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, compressive strength testing, porosity testing, in vitro biocompatibility, and cytotoxicity were used to evaluate the properties of the bone scaffolds. The test results show that both crosslinking agents, glutaraldehyde (GA) and 1‐ethyl‐3‐(3‐dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide, were able to form a porous structure. In addition, the compressive strength increased as a result of the increased crosslinking time. However, the porosity and cell viability were not correlated with the crosslinking times. The optimal porous and interconnected pore structure occurred when the bone scaffolds were crosslinked with GA for 20 min. It was proven that crosslinking the frozen polymers successfully resulted in a division of the linear pores, and this resulted in interconnected multiple pores and a compressively strong structure. The 48‐h cytotoxicity did not affect the cell viability. This study successfully produced chitosan/gelatin porous materials for biomaterials application. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 41851.     

Evaluation of poly(L-lactide) and chitosan composite scaffolds for cartilage tissue regeneration

The present study delineates the development of chitosan and poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) scaffolds cross-linked using a mixture of 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC), n-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS), and chondroitin sulfate (CS) for cartilage tissue engineering applications. Chitosan and PLLA were varied in concentration for developing scaffolds and prepared by freeze-drying method. The various scaffolds were studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), porosity by mercury intrusion porosimeter, and the molecular interactions among polymers using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies. Differential scanning calorimetry was used to predict the thermal properties of the scaffolds. The mechanical properties of the scaffolds were studied using static mechanical tester. The ability of the scaffolds to support chondrocyte proliferation was also studied. The microscopy suggests that the pore size of the scaffolds varied with the composition in the range of 38–172 μm and the porosities in the range of 73–93%. The XRD and the FTIR studies suggested that an alternation in the composition of the scaffolds altered the molecular interactions among the scaffold components. An increase in the chitosan content enhanced the swelling property. The degradation of the scaffolds was least when the proportion of chitosan and PLLA was in the ratio of 70:30. The in vitro cell proliferation study suggested that the developed scaffolds were able to support chondrogenesis, the glycosaminoglycan (GAG) content of the mature chondrocyte was 40 μg/ml and the viability was approximately 90%. Hence, the so designed scaffolds may be tried for cartilage tissue engineering applications.     

Synthesis of a new,yellow crosslinking polyvinylamine dye and its crosslinking/dyeing process through a crosslinker

A new, yellow crosslinking polyvinylamine dye was synthesized by the reaction of 2,4‐dinitrochlorobenzene with polyvinylamine prepared from Hofmann degradation of polyacrylamide. It was crosslinked and dyed to cotton and silk by a crosslinker synthesized from 1,3,5‐trichloro‐s‐triazine and sodium 2‐(p‐aminophenylsulfonyl)ethyl sulfate. The crosslinking/dyeing conditions of the yellow polyvinylamine dye, such as pH, cure temperature, and concentration of the crosslinker were investigated. The fixations of the polymeric dye by the crosslinker on cotton and silk were greater than 99%. The crosslinking covalent dye–fiber bond was proved indirectly by the comparison of IR spectra of the undyed fiber, the dyed fiber, and the crosslinked one, and also by the fact that no dye was stripped off from the crosslinked and dyed sample by extraction with DMF/water (1 : 1). © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 102: 1568–1573, 2006     

Preparation and characterization of Chitosan and PLGA‐based scaffolds for tissue engineering applications

Three dimensional (3D) biodegradable porous scaffolds play a crucial role in bone tissue repair. In this study, four types of 3D polymer/hydroxyapatite (HAp) composite scaffolds were prepared by freeze drying technique in order to mimic the organic/inorganic nature of the bone. Chitosan (CH) and poly(lactic acid‐co‐glycolic acid) (PLGA) were used as the polymeric part and HAp as the inorganic component. Properties of the resultant scaffolds, such as morphology, porosity, degradation, water uptake, mechanical and thermal stabilities were examined. 3D scaffolds having interconnected macroporous structure and 77–89% porosity were produced. The pore diameters were in the range of 6 and 200 µm. PLGA and HAp containing scaffolds had the highest compressive modulus. PLGA maintained the strength by decreasing water uptake but increased the degradation rate. Scaffolds seeded with SaOs‐2 osteoblast cells showed that all scaffolds were capable of encouraging cell adhesion and proliferation. The presence of HAp particles caused an increase in cell number on CH‐HAp scaffolds compared to CH scaffolds, while cell number decreased when PLGA was incorporated in the structure. CH‐PLGA scaffolds showed highest cell number on days 7 and 14 compared to others. Based on the properties such as interconnected porosity, high mechanical strength, and in vitro cell proliferation, blend scaffolds have the potential to be applied in hard tissue treatments. POLYM. COMPOS., 36:1917–1930, 2015. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Self‐crosslinking and cocrosslinking with nitrile rubber of poly(vinyl chloride) with pendent N,N‐diethyldithiocarbamate group

In order to realize the self‐crosslinking and cocrosslinking of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) with nitrile‐butadiene rubber (NBR), PVC with pendent N,N‐diethyldithiocarbamate groups (PVC‐SR) was prepared from the reaction of PVC with sodium SR in butanone. The PVC‐SR was self‐crosslinked and the PVC‐SR/NBR blend was cocrosslinked under heating at 170°C. The effect of the degree of functionality of PVC‐SR on the torque, gel content, glass‐transition temperature, and tensile properties was investigated. The results showed that the crosslinking reaction did not occur for PVC, NBR, or the PVC/NBR blend. Introducing the SR groups into PVC caused the crosslinking reaction to occur and the high gel contents of the crosslinked samples were obtained in 15 min. The degree of crosslinking increased with the degree of functionality of PVC‐SR. The mechanism of the crosslinking reaction was discussed. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 80: 634–638, 2001