Reconstructed three-dimensional structure of gas-foamed polycaprolactone/cellulose nanofibrous scaffold for biomedical applications

One of the unavoidable issues with the bio-scaffolding process is the collapse of the visually appealing external three-dimensional (3D) sponge-like structure and the internal porous and multilayered morphology of a gas-foamed nanofibrous scaffold. Herein, a gas-foamed polycaprolactone/cellulose (g-PCL/CL) nanofibers scaffold is first prepared by electrospinning PCL/cellulose acetate, followed by deacetylation and then Sodium borohydride-assisted gas-foaming technique. The deformed 3D architecture of g-PCL/CL nanofiber is finally reconstructed by mixing it with chitosan (CS) solution and molding. This straightforward method leverages the mechanical strength of PCL, the hydrophilic properties of CL, and the curing characteristics of chitosan. The physical characterization validated the successful reformation of the 3D architecture of the CS + PCL/CL scaffold demonstrating the unique porous interior structure assembled with nanofiber-reinforced pore walls. This molding process with chitosan solution enables the formation of mechanically enhanced 3D scaffolds with improved structural integrity, as evidenced by the increased compressive strength of the CS + PCL/CL scaffold (~95 kPa). In vitro studies further demonstrate improved cell adhesion, differentiation, and proliferation for the CS + PCL/CL scaffold. These findings suggest that the structurally reconstructed CS + PCL/CL composite scaffold possesses suitable characteristics to act as a potential bioscaffold, paving the way for promising strategies to retain the structural integrity of collapse scaffolds.