Preparation and mineralization of 13-93 bioactive glass-containing electrospun poly-epsilon-caprolactone composite nanofibrous mats

In this study, silicate- based 13-93 bioactive glass (BG) /poly-epsilon-caprolactone (PCL) nanocomposite fiber mats were fabricated through electrospinning. To prepare composites, amorphous electrospun bioactive glass nanofibers (BGFs) or melt-derived microscale bioactive glass particles (BGPs) were incorporated into the PCL matrix. In vitro mineralization ability of the prepared fibrous mats was assessed in simulated body fluid under static conditions. The results revealed that it is possible to prepare bead-free continuous nanofibers using PCL-acetone solution at specified PCL concentrations (8 and 10 wt%). Nanofibers with almost uniform diameters were produced using 10 wt% PCL solution. Incorporation of BG in the form of particle or fiber into the PCL matrix was made between 1 wt% and 10 wt%. The results showed that the diameter of BGP-containing composite fibers was higher compared to BGF-containing composite scaffolds. The addition of BG to the PCL matrix both in the form of powder and fiber enhanced hydroxyapatite formation in the fibrous scaffolds. The amount of calcium phosphate-based material formation was higher in glass particle-containing samples compared to glass fiber-containing PCL scaffolds. Additionally, the degradation rate in phosphate buffer and silicium ion release amount of BGP-containing PCL fibers was higher compared to BGF-containing PCL fibers. It was concluded that fibrous composite scaffolds prepared in this study could have potential in tissue engineering applications.