Physical, mechanical and biological evaluation of poly (3-hydroxybutyrate)-chitosan/MWNTs as a novel electrospun scaffold for cartilage tissue engineering applications

Abstract

Designing scaffolds with appropriate mechanical properties is a challenge in tissue engineering. In this study, electrospun scaffolds were fabricated by mixing different percent of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) with poly (3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB)-chitosan solution. Scanning electron microscopy of the scaffolds revealed bead-free nanofibers with pore volume of 83%, which had a direct relationship with fiber diameter. The nanocomposite scaffolds exhibited higher hydrophilicity and lower degradation rate due to the presence of MWNTs. The tensile strength of scaffolds improved significantly in the presence of MWNTs (about three-fold higher than PHB-chitosan). Chondrocyte culture study showed better cell adhesion and growth in nanocomposite scaffolds.