Abstract
Controlled self-assembly of diblock copolymers offers the possibility of fabricating multilength scale, three-dimensional (3D) porous/fibrous structures (or scaffolds) with defined internal nano- or microstructure, with opportunities for application in a variety of fields, ranging from energy storage to bioengineering. Traditional methods by which such 3D constructs are produced are time-consuming and tedious, hindering their broader exploitation within larger scale industrial processes. We report the development of a one-step process to fabricate "as-electrospun" self-assembled diblock copolymer micro- to nanometer-sized fibers incorporating core shell or lamellar, closely packed spheres or bicontinuous gyroid nanosized structures. Isotropic and anisotropic (aligned) porous mats presenting spatially controlled chemistries, including bioactive (peptide-based) motifs, were successfully made from these hierarchical fibers. When functionalized with peptide sequences derived from a cell adhesion molecule (E-cadherin) and an extracellular matrix glycoprotein (laminin), these novel materials provided new insight into the impacts of such exquisitely tailored contact -guidance cues on the haptokinesis of human mesenchymal stem cells.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 1420-1425 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | ACS Macro Letters |
Volume | 6 |
Issue number | 12 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Dec 2017 |
Keywords
- EPITHELIAL CONTACT GUIDANCE
- DIBLOCK COPOLYMERS
- DRUG-DELIVERY
- NANOFIBERS
- MORPHOLOGY
- MIGRATION
- POLYMER
- FIBERS
- 3RD-DIMENSION
- CONFINEMENT