전자선 조사를 통한 생분해성고분자 나노섬유의 표면 개질

Abstract

The morphology of electrospun nanofiber sheet is similar with the structure of extracellular matrix (ECM) in composing native tissue. However, electrospun nanofibers prepared with synthetic biodegradable polymer have some limitations in regulating adhesion, proliferation, and spreading of cells because of their surface hydrophobicity and absence of cell-interactive cues. In this study, we functionalized the electrospun poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) or poly(L-lactide-co-ε-caprolactone) (PLCL) nanofibers with acrylic acid (AAc) to modulate their surface hydrophilicity using electron-beam irradiation method and then measured grafting ratio of AAc, water contact angle, ATR-FTIR, and mechanical properties of AAc-grafted nanofibers. A grafting ratio of AAc on the nanofibers was increased as irradiation dose and AAc concentration were increased. AAc-grafted nanofibers also have higher wettability than non-modified nanofibers, and their wettability was easily controlled. In conclusion, those surface-modified nanofibers may be an essential candidate to control cell attachment in tissue engineering applications.