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Fabrication of a poly(ɛ‐caprolactone)/starch nanocomposite scaffold with a solvent‐casting/salt‐leaching technique for bone tissue engineering applications
Author(s) -
Taherkhani Safa,
Moztarzadeh Fathollah
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of applied polymer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.575
H-Index - 166
eISSN - 1097-4628
pISSN - 0021-8995
DOI - 10.1002/app.43523
Subject(s) - materials science , caprolactone , nanocomposite , porosity , composite material , compressive strength , cancellous bone , contact angle , fourier transform infrared spectroscopy , microstructure , leaching (pedology) , starch , composite number , casting , solvent , chemical engineering , polymer , copolymer , chemistry , organic chemistry , medicine , environmental science , pathology , soil science , engineering , soil water
A series of nanocomposite scaffolds of poly(ɛ‐caprolactone) (PCL) and starch with a range of porosity from 50 to 90% were fabricated with a solvent‐casting/salt‐leaching technique, and their physical and mechanical properties were investigated. X‐ray diffraction patterns and Fourier transform infrared spectra confirmed the presence of the characteristic peaks of PCL in the fabricated scaffolds. Microstructure studies of the scaffolds revealed a uniform pore morphology and structure in all of the samples. The experimental measurements showed that the average contact angle of the PCL/starch composite was 88.05 ± 1.77°. All of the samples exhibited compressive stress/strain curves similar to those of polymeric foams. The samples with 50, 60, 70, and 80 wt % salt showed compressive‐load‐resisting capabilities in the range of human cancellous bone. With increasing porosity, a significant decrease in the mechanical properties of the scaffolds was observed. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133 , 43523.