Fibrous Materials Made of Poly(ε-caprolactone)/Poly(ethylene oxide)-b-Poly(ε-caprolactone) Blends Support Neural Stem Cells Differentiation.

ABSTRACT: In this work, we design and produce micron-sized fiber mats by blending poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) with small amounts of block copolymers poly(ethylene oxide)m-block-poly(ε-caprolactone)n (PEOm-b-PCLn) using electrospinning. Three different PEOm-b-PCLn block copolymers, with different molecular weights of PEO and PCL, were synthesized by ring opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone using PEO as initiator and stannous octoate as catalyst. The polymer blends were prepared by homogenous solvent mixing using dichloromethane for further electrospinning procedures. After electrospinning, it was found that the addition to PCL of the different block copolymers produced micron-fibers with smaller width, equal or higher hydrophilicity, lower Young modulus, and rougher surfaces, as compared with mic

SUBMITTER: Fernandez D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6835932 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature