The preparation, characterization and evaluation of regenerated cellulose/collagen composite hydrogel films

Porous structured regenerated cellulose films were oxidized by periodate oxidation to obtain 2,3-dialdehyde cellulose (DARC) films, which were then reacted with collagen to obtain DARC/Col composite films. The subsequent FT-IR spectra indicated that collagen was immobilized on the DARC matrix via the Schiff base reaction between -NH2 in collagen and -CHO in DARC backbone. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that DARC/Col exhibited a refined 3D network structure and its porosity and pore size decreased with increasing of collagen concentration. The composite films demonstrated a good equilibrium-swelling ratio, air permeability and water retention properties. The composite films also showed excellent mechanical properties, which was vital for practical application. Finally, the cytotoxicity of the composite film was evaluated using NIH3T3 mice fibroblast cells, the results revealed that DARC/Col composite films have good biocompatibility for use as scaffold material in tissue engineering. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.