Electrospun poly(ɛ-caprolactone)/nanoclay nanofibrous mats for tissue engineering

Nanofibrous mats of poly (ɛ-caprolactone)/nanoclay nanocomposites were fabricated using electrospinning method. Effects of nanoclay content of the nanocomposite on final nanofiber structures were investigated and characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis. The results showed that the presence of the nanoclay promoted the creation of fibrous structure in comparison with solely poly (ɛ-caprolactone). Furthermore, increase in nanoclay content led to the formation of more uniform nanofiber structures and caused a decrease in the mean nanofiber diameter. DSC results showed that the addition of nanoclay reduced the crystallinity of the nanocomposite in compared with pristine PCL. Studies of the mechanical properties, wettability and degradability showed that the presence of nanoclay improved tensile modulus, tensile strength, wettability and biodegradability of the nanocomposites. To evaluate the effect of nanoclay on the cell adhesion and bioactivity of the poly (ɛ-caprolactone)/nanoclay nanocomposites, fibroblasts cells were seeded on the mats. The results showed that the prepared nanocomposite could be a potential candidate for tissue engineering.