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Multiple‐Level Porous Polymer Monoliths with Interconnected Cellular Topology Prepared by Combining Hard Sphere and Emulsion Templating for Use in Bone Tissue Engineering
Author(s) -
Paljevac Muzafera,
Gradišnik Lidija,
Lipovšek Saška,
Maver Uroš,
Kotek Jiři,
Krajnc Peter
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
macromolecular bioscience
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.924
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1616-5195
pISSN - 1616-5187
DOI - 10.1002/mabi.201700306
Subject(s) - porosity , emulsion , materials science , polymer , monolith , chemical engineering , tissue engineering , pentaerythritol , polymerization , topology (electrical circuits) , phase (matter) , nanotechnology , composite material , chemistry , biomedical engineering , organic chemistry , mathematics , fire retardant , combinatorics , engineering , catalysis , medicine
A combination of hard sphere and high internal phase emulsion templating gives a platform for synthesizing hierarchically porous polymers with a unique topology exhibiting interconnected spherical features on multiple levels. Polymeric spheres are fused by thermal sintering to create a 3D monolithic structure while an emulsion with a high proportion of internal phase and monomers in the continuous phase is added to the voids of the previously constructed monolith. Following polymerization of the emulsion and dissolution of the templating structure, a down‐replicating topology is created with a primary level of pores as a result of fused spheres of the 3D monolithic structure, a secondary level of pores resulting from the emulsion's internal phase, and a tertiary level of interconnecting channels. Thiol‐ene chemistry with divinyladipate and pentaerythritol tetrakis(3‐mercaptopropionate) is used to demonstrate the preparation of a crosslinked polyester with overall porosity close to 90%. Due to multilevel porosity, such materials are interesting for applications in bone tissue engineering, possibly simulating the native sponge like bone structure. Their potential to promote ossteointegration is tested using human bone derived osteoblasts. Material–cell interactions are evaluated and they reveal growth and proliferation of osteoblasts both on surface and in the bulk of the scaffold.