Silica Nanofibers with Enhanced Wettability and Mechanical Strength for Bone Tissue Engineering: Electrospinning without Polymer Carrier and Subsequent Heat Treatment

Publikation: Beitrag in FachzeitschriftForschungsartikelBeigetragenBegutachtung

Abstract

The unique properties of silica, such as biocompatibility and the ability to promote cell growth, demonstrate favorable results in different applications such as drug delivery, biomedical applications, and tissue engineering (TE). Electrospinning has emerged as a method for creating a substrate with a high surface area and structural resemblance to natural extracellular matrices. A common method of fabricating silica nanofibers (SNFs) for TE involves hybrid silica/ polymer nanofibers, which require calcination to remove the polymer and obtain pure silica. This study aimed to use the sol-gel precursor tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) to fabricate pure SNFs through electrospinning and investigate calcination's effect on their morphology, thermal behavior, mechanical properties, wettability, and porosity. The findings indicated that the calcination process reduced Young's modulus, wettability, and porosity, which may influence the applications of SNFs in TE. Nanofibrous mats with high Young's modulus can play a crucial role in providing mechanical support for tissue repair. Additionally, high porosity and wettability can facilitate cell attachment and growth by improving nutrient and oxygen transport to the cells. This study provides valuable insights into the potential use of pure SNFs and highlighted the effects of heat treatment on their properties.To date, the production of silica nanofibers by electrospinning requires the use of organic polymers and subsequent heat treatment. With the process route presented, these two elements can be avoided. As a result, the mechanical properties remain at a higher level and the wetability is increased, which favors the use of the fibers in the field of TE.image

Details

OriginalspracheEnglisch
Aufsatznummer2300169
Seitenumfang8
FachzeitschriftMacromolecular materials and engineering
Jahrgang309
Ausgabenummer1
PublikationsstatusElektronische Veröffentlichung vor Drucklegung - Nov. 2023
Peer-Review-StatusJa

Externe IDs

Scopus 85176229364
Mendeley 35ce4944-6c3b-35c0-99c5-2421a419e919
ORCID /0000-0003-0423-4093/work/149081551

Schlagworte

Forschungsprofillinien der TU Dresden

DFG-Fachsystematik nach Fachkollegium

Fächergruppen, Lehr- und Forschungsbereiche, Fachgebiete nach Destatis

Schlagwörter

  • Calcination, Electrospinning, Silica nanofibers, Structural characterizations, calcination, electrospinning, silica nanofibers, structural characterizations