The Effect of Ozone Treatment on the Physicochemical Properties and Biocompatibility of Electrospun Poly(ε)caprolactone Scaffolds

Ozonation has been proved as a viable surface modification technique providing certain properties to the scaffolds that are essential in tissue engineering. However, the ozone (O-3) treatment of PCL scaffolds in aqueous environments has not yet been presented. O-3 treatment performed in aqueous environments is more effective compared with traditional, executed in ambient air treatment due to more abundant production of hydroxyl radicals (center dot OH) within the O-3 reaction with water molecules. During interaction with center dot OH, the scaffold acquires functional groups which improve wettability properties and encapsulate growth factors. In this study, a poly(epsilon)caprolactone (PCL) scaffold was fabricated using solution electrospinning and was subsequently ozonated in a water reactor. The O-3 treatment resulted in the expected occurrence of oxygen-containing functional groups, which improved scaffold wettability by almost 27% and enhanced cell proliferation for up to 14 days. The PCL scaffold was able to withhold 120 min of O-3 treatment, maintaining fibrous morphology and mechanical properties.

Automated summary

Ozonation has been shown to be an effective surface modification technique for enhancing the properties of scaffolds in tissue engineering. In this study, PCL scaffolds were ozonated in a water reactor, resulting in improved wettability and enhanced cell proliferation. The treatment with ozone produced oxygen-containing functional groups, maintaining the fibrous morphology and mechanical properties of the scaffolds after 120 minutes.