Preparation and degradation of PLA/chitosan composite materials

As scaffold material, poly(lactic acid) (PLA) has several obvious weaknesses, such as fast biodegradation, acidic degradation product, and hydrophobicity. To solve these problems, a series of PLA/chitosan composite materials was prepared in this study. SEC observation, porosity tests and contact angle measurements showed that the materials were hydrophilic and had appropriate porosity and structure, which were favorable to the cell growth. Degrading tests in vitro indicated that the degrading speeds of the materials were slower than that of PLA, and the materials could keep adjacently litmusless, certain shape and mechanical properties. (C) 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.