Electrospinning types

In the past few years, remarkable progress has been made in the field of electrospinning for the preparation of various types of scaffolds. The development of electrospun nanofibers has enhanced the scope of fabricating scaffolds that can... 

Scaffolds can be fabricated by using different types of methodologies such as fiber bonding, salt leaching, gas-induced foaming, phase separation, electrospinning, solid freeform fabrication, and molecular self assembly [15, 17]. Some of the fabrication techniques are discussed below. 

Bone is a natural composite comprised of type I collagen and calcium phosphate minerals, of which nanocrystalline apatite is the main component [39, 40]. Certain osteoconductive bioceramics exert an effect on bone cell attachment and growth factor binding or release, and can accelerate the treatment of bone defects [41-43]. Polymer composite scaffolds can be produced, via electrospinning, which contain a specific amount of electrical charge in order to form non-woven fibrous meshes with fibre dimensions in the nano- to microscale [44-46]. 

Shen X-W, Yang Y, Jian J, Wu Q, Chen G-Q (2009) Production and characterization of homopolymer poly(3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHV) accumulated by wild type and recombinant Aeromonas hydrophila strain 4AK4. Bioresour Technol 100 4296-4299 Shenoy SL, Bates WD, Frisch HL, Wnek G (2005a) Role of chain entanglements on fiber formation during electrospinning of polymer solutions good solvent, non-specific polymer-polymer interaction limit. Polymer 46 3372-3384... 

FIGURE 5.4 Different types of porous chitosan scaffolds fabricated by (a) thermally induced phase separation [129], (b) dense CO gas foaming [132], (c) sintering chitosan microspheres, and (d) electrospinning [157]. Reprinted with permission. Copyright 1999, 2005, 2011 Elsevier. 

Electrospinning of PLA and copolymers [12] and the PLA stereocomplex [145,146] has been used to prepare nanofibres or nanomats. Similar to the effect of pores on the mechanical properties of PLA-based materials, the formation of nanomats effectively lowers the E and elevates the 8b value. The morphology of the fibres and nanomats and the mechanical properties are affected by the applied voltage, the effluent rate and concentration of the solution, the type of solvent and so on (Figure 8.12 [147]). 

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