Institute of Fundamental Technological Research

Electrospinning is a process that has attracted significant interest in recent years. It provides the opportunity to produce nanofibers that mimic the extracellular matrix. As a result, it is possible to use the nonwovens as scaffolds characterized by high cellular adhesion. This work focused on the synthesis of poly(glycerol itaconate) (PGItc) and preparation of nonwovens based on PGItc gels and polylactide. PGItc gels were synthesized by a reaction between itaconic anhydride and glycerol. The use of a mixture of PGItc and PLA allowed us to obtain a material with different properties than with stand-alone polymers. In this study, we present the influence of the chosen ratios of polymers and the OH/COOH ratio in the synthesized PGItc on the properties of the obtained materials. The addition of PGItc results in hydrophilization of the nonwovens’ surface without disrupting the high porosity of the fibrous structure. Spectral and thermal analyzes are presented, along with SEM imagining. The preliminary cytotoxicity research showed that nonwovens were non-cytotoxic materials. It also helped to pre-determine the potential application of PGItc + PLA nonwovens as subcutaneous tissue fillers or drug delivery systems.

poly(glycerol itaconate), polylactide, electrospinning, tissue engineering, hydrogels

In 2002, Robert Langer proposed that new polyester for tissue engineering should have good mechanical properties followed by: covalent bonding (as crosslinking) and hydrogen-bonding interactions; and should be elastic like rubber materials due to three-dimensional network structure. Considering these hypotheses, a polyester made of glycerol and citric acid was designed in this work. Poly(glycerol citrate) should be attractive for tissue engineering because both glycerol and citric acid, taking part in natural human metabolic pathways; and due to the reactant's functionality, 3D networks should be produced easily. Moreover, the reagents are cheap, available, and often used in the food and pharmaceutical industries. In this work, poly(glycerol citrate) was synthesized and then used with PLA for creating porous nonwovens by electrospinning. Produced materials were tested for possible application in the field of tissue engineering. The obtained materials have properties similar to collagen fibers, but still, require refinement for medical applications.

electrospinning, poly(glycerol citrate), polylactide, tissue engineering