Collagen surface modified poly(ε-caprolactone) scaffolds with improved hydrophilicity and cell adhesion properties

Poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL)/collagen scaffolds were produced using a four-step procedure comprising (i) the fabrication of PCL scaffolds through an additive bioextrusion system, (ii) the PCL surface modification using a plasma treatment, (iii) the acrylic acid (AAc) grafting by ultraviolet (UV) polymerization, and (iv) the immobilization of collagen into the scaffold surface through the carbodiimide chemistry. This procedure allowed the quick fabrication of highly porous scaffolds with interconnected pores, well-defined internal architecture and improved cell adhesion properties. The immobilization of collagen into the PCL surface led to a significant enhancement in the hydrophilicity, while the biological tests showed a further improvement in the adhesion of fibroblast cells. These results indicate that the collagen surface modification is an effective strategy to render the hydrophobic nature of PCL and overcome the limited cell interaction of 3D PCL scaffolds. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.