Electrospun Polycaprolactone/Polylactic Acid Nanofibers as an Artificial Nerve Conduit

Development of conduits made of biodegradable nanofibers is gaining substantial interest due to their suitability for nerve regeneration. Among all polymeric nanofibers PCL (Poly epsilon-Caprolactone) is distinctively found for mechanical stability and PLLA (Poly (L-Lactic Acid)) for relatively faster biodegradability. The aim of this study is to investigate blending compatibility between PCL and PLLA and the ability to fabricate nanofibers conduits via electro spinning. The PCL-PLLA nanofiber tubular made from different blend ratios of PCL-PLLA were electro spun. The electro spun nanofibers were continuously deposited over high speed rotating mandrel to fabricate nanofibers conduit having inner diameter of 2mm and the wall thickness of 55-65 mu m. The diameters of nanofibers were between 715-860mn. FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared) spectroscopy used to analyze chemical change in the blends of nerve conduits, which revealed that the PCL-PLLA blend nanofiber exhibit characteristic peaks of both PCL and PLLA and was composition dependent. The crystallinity of PCL-PLLA tubes were studied using WAXD (Wide Angle Xray Diffraction). The morphology of nanofibers were investigated under SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope). The mechanical properties of the conduits were also tested; the Young's modulus obtained for small diameter was 10MPa, twice as high as larger diameter.