Electrospinning of type I collagen and PCL nanofibers using acetic acid

Fabrication of nanofibrous biomaterials based on natural materials (collagen, gelatin, etc.) through various techniques is an important research topic. Electrospinning, a well-established technique for nanofiber production has also been extended for producing nanofibrous structures of natural materials. Collagen nanofiber production utilizes hexafluoro isopropanol (HFIP) as a solvent for electrospinning. Research efforts are now focused on replacing HFIP with an environmentally benign solvent. In this study, electrospinning of Type I collagen of bovine skin with polycaprolactone (PCL) as a blend and an environmentally benign solvent, acetic acid, was carried out. The samples produced were subjected to contact angle measurements, porosity estimation, SEM, FTIR, TGA, and DSC. Nanofibers in the range of 100-200 nm were produced with an optimum porosity of 60%. The instrumental analyses confirm the physical interaction between collagen and PCL. Electrospinning of collagen in an environmentally benign solvent has been carried out and its usage in tissue engineering is being investigated by our research group. (C) 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012