Fabrication of Biodegradable Polyester Nanocomposites by Electrospinning for Tissue Engineering

Recently, nanocomposites have emerged as an efficient strategy to upgrade the structural and functional properties of synthetic polymers. Polyesters have attracted wide attention because of their biodegradability and biocompatibility. A logic consequence has been the introduction of natural extracel...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Zhi-Cai Xing, Seung-Jin Han, Yong-Suk Shin, Inn-Kyu Kang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Hindawi Limited 2011-01-01
Series:Journal of Nanomaterials
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2011/929378
Description
Summary:Recently, nanocomposites have emerged as an efficient strategy to upgrade the structural and functional properties of synthetic polymers. Polyesters have attracted wide attention because of their biodegradability and biocompatibility. A logic consequence has been the introduction of natural extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules, organic or inorganic nanostructures to biodegradable polymers to produce nanocomposites with enhanced properties. Consequently, the improvement of the interfacial adhesion between biodegradable polymers and natural ECM molecules or nanostructures has become the key technique in the fabrication of nanocomposites. Electrospinning has been employed extensively in the design and development of tissue engineering scaffolds to generate nanofibrous substrates of synthetic biodegradable polymers and to simulate the cellular microenvironment. In this paper, several types of biodegradable polyester nanocomposites were prepared by electrospinning, with the aim of being used as tissue engineering scaffolds. The combination of biodegradable nanofibrous polymers and natural ECM molecules or nanostructures opens new paradigms for tissue engineering applications.
ISSN:1687-4110
1687-4129