Novel double-layered planar scaffold combining electrospun PCL fibers and PVA hydrogels with high shape integrity and water stability

Novel double-layered materials with different properties of each side were prepared via needleless electrospinning and compared in terms of morphology, wettability, adhesion and proliferation of mouse fibroblasts. The materials consist of hydrophilic poly(vinyl alcohol) fibers with low (PVA_L) or high (PVA_H) degree of hydrolysis, and hydrophobic poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL) fibrous layer. Although the PVA_L fibers were fully dissolved following a water exposure, the shape of the scaffold was maintained due to water stable PCL layer. Exposing PVA_H based fibrous layer to water created a hydrogel-like structure with shape defined by the PCL layer. According to the MIT assay, the mouse fibroblasts seeded on the scaffold exhibited the greatest proliferative activity on the PCL fibers. These double-layered scaffolds with different features on each side are very promising for many novel medical applications such as wound dressing or abdominal adhesion prevention. (C) 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.