Synthesis and Characterization of Drug-Loaded Poly(epsilon-caprolactone)/Silica Hybrid Nanofibrous Scaffolds

Abstract

We produced drug-loaded poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL)/silica hybrid nanofibrous scaffolds with various silica sol contents (0 vol%, 10 vol%, 15 vol%, and 20 vol%) using electrospinning and examined their physicochemical properties, mechanical properties, drug release behavior, and in vitro biocompatibility to evaluate their potential application for guided bone regeneration (GBR). The loading efficiency of tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) drug was remarkably enhanced by hybridizing the PCL solution with the silica sol. All produced hybrid scaffolds had a highly nanofibrous structure, in which the silica phase was homogeneously hybridized with the PCL polymer, while preserving their intrinsic characteristics. This led to considerable increases in hydrophilicity and mechanical properties (e.g., ultimate tensile strength and elastic modulus). In addition, the release rate and cumulative maximum amounts of the TCH from the hybrid scaffolds significantly increased with increasing the silica content, while all produced hybrid nanofibrous scaffolds showed good biocompatibility assessed by in vitro cell tests.