Chitosan-g-polycaprolactone copolymer fibrous mesh scaffolds and their related properties

Abstract

Chitosan-g-polycaprolactone copolymers (CPCs) with desired composition proportions were synthesized by carefully controlling the weight ratio of polycaprolactone side chains changing approximately between 45 and 48 wt% so that the obtained CPCs could be further processed via different processing techniques. Aqueous acetic acid solutions and dimethyl sulfoxide were respectively employed as solvents to fabricate CPCs into fibrous mesh scaffolds that had nearly similar parameters characterized by the average porosity and pore-size of scaffolds as well as the average diameter of filaments under optimal processing conditions. The swelling index, surface group analysis, antibacterial activity and tensile mechanical properties of these mesh scaffolds were investigated in several ways, and the scaffolds showed quite different properties due to the different processing methods employed, although the same type of CPC was used. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.