Novel 3D scaffolds of chitosan-PLLA blends for tissue engineering applications : preparation and characterization

摘要

This work addresses the preparation of 3D porous scaffolds of blends of chitosan and poly(l-lactic acid),CHT and PLLA, using supercritical fluid technology. Supercritical assisted phase-inversion was used toprepare scaffolds for tissue engineering purposes. The physicochemical and biological properties of chitosanmake it an excellent material for the preparation of drug delivery systems and for the developmentof new biomedical applications in many fields from skin to bone or cartilage regeneration. On the otherhand, PLLA is a synthetic biodegradable polymer widely used for biomedical applications. Supercriticalassisted phase-inversion experiments were carried out in samples with different polymer ratios and differentpolymer solution concentrations. The effect of CHT:PLLA ratio and polymer concentration and onthe morphology and topography of the scaffolds was assessed by SEM and Micro-CT. Infra-red spectroscopicimaging analysis of the scaffolds allowed a better understanding on the distribution of the twopolymers within the matrix. This work demonstrates that supercritical fluid technology constitutes anew processing technology, clean and environmentally friendly for the preparation of scaffolds for tissueengineering using these materials.