Electrospun gelatin/nylon-6 composite nanofibers for biomedical applications

We describe the preparation and characterization of gelatin-containing nylon-6 electrospun fibers and their potential use as a bioactive scaffold for tissue engineering. The physicochemical properties of gelatin/nylon-6 composite nanofibers were analyzed using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, TGA and contact angle and tensile measurements. FE-SEM and TEM images revealed that the nanofibers were well oriented and showed a good incorporation of gelatin. FTIR spectroscopy and TGA also revealed that there was good interaction between the two polymers at the molecular level. The adhesion, viability and proliferation properties of osteoblast cells on the gelatin/nylon-6 composite nanofibers were analyzed by an in vitro cell compatibility test. Our results suggest that the incorporation of gelatin can increase the cell compatibility of nylon-6 and therefore the composite mat obtained has great potential in hard tissue engineering. (c) 2012 Society of Chemical Industry