Surface controlled biomimetic coating of polycaprolactone nanofiber mesh architectures

Abstract

This work aims at developing novel electrospun nanofiber meshes coated with biomimetic calcium phosphate (BCP) mimicking the extracellular microenvironment found in the bone structure and not loosing the original morphology of the nanofibers. Poly(e-

caprolactone) (PCL) was selected because of its current use in medical applications, biodegradability, biocompatibility and sus- ceptibility to partial hydrolysis by alkaline treatments.

The deposition of a BCP layer, similar to the inorganic phase of bone, on PCL nanofiber meshes was achieved by a surface modi- fication. This initial surface modification was followed by treat- ments with solutions containing calcium and phosphate ions. The process was finished by the immersion in simulated body fluid (SBF) with 1.5