Surface Modification of Melt Extruded Poly(ε-caprolactone) Nanofibers: Toward a New Scalable Biomaterial Scaffold.

ABSTRACT: A photochemical modification of melt-extruded polymeric nanofibers is described. A bioorthogonal functional group is used to decorate fibers made exclusively from commodity polymers, covalently attach fluorophores and peptides, and direct cell growth. Our process begins by using a layered coextrusion method, where poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) nanofibers are incorporated within a macroscopic poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) tape through a series of die multipliers within the extrusion line. The PEO layer is then removed with a water wash to yield rectangular PCL nanofibers with controlled cross-sectional dimensions. The fibers can be subsequently modified using photochemistry to yield a "clickable" handle for performing the copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) reaction on their surfa

SUBMITTER: Kim SE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4064936 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature