Honeycomb-patterned Polymer Substrates Prepared via the Breath Figure Method and Photo-crosslinking for Promoting MC3T3 Cell Functions

摘要

A variety of methods have been developed to prepare honeycomb-patterned polymeric films with ordered pore distribution for diverse applications. These methods include colloidal crystals, self- assembly of rod-coil copolymers, and lithography. To date, one of the most efficient and convenient means to create honeycomb-patterned polymeric films is the “Breath Figure” method, in which condensed water droplets on the surface of polymer solution works as template during the evaporation of volatile solvent in the humid condition. The “Breath Figure” method has been employed to fabricate honeycomb- patterned films of rod-coil polymers or amphiphilic copolymers. Preparation of honeycomb-patterned homo-polymer films using this method has been developed in presence of either amphiphilic copolymer or inorganic template as assistance. Photo-crosslinkable and biodegradable poly(ε-caprolactone) triacrylate (PCLTA) has been developed recently using a facile method in our research group and have great potentials as biomaterials for diverse tissue-engineering applications. Unlike most polymer species for fabricating honeycomb- patterned films using the “Breath Figure” method, PCLTA is not a rod- coil or amphiphilic copolymer. In this study, we have applied a facile method combining “Breath Figure” and photo-crosslinking to fabricate honeycomb-patterned polymer films with tunable pore size. We have further studied mouse pre-osteoblastic MC3T3 cell adhesion, spreading, phenotype, and proliferation on the honeycomb-patterned films with two different pore sizes of 3.0 and 5.6 μm. We found that MC3T3 cell adhesion, spreading, and proliferation could be enhanced significantly on the honeycomb-patterned films compared to the flat controls and the effect was more prominent on the substrates with smaller pores. This study supplies a facile method to prepare porous polymer membranes and scaffolds for bone repair and regeneration.