Summary
Bioactive glass (BG) particles are a popular filler for composite electrospun fibres because they bond to bone and encourage mineralisation, but such fibres are usually spun from aggressive solvents. The novelty here is a greener route: electrospinning composite fibres of a poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL)/chitosan blend loaded with bioactive glass using only benign solvents — acetic and formic acid. The authors incorporated both nano- and micron-sized BG particles, first checking by electron microscopy whether the mild acids altered the glass, then characterising the fibre mats’ morphology, chemistry and mechanical properties. Both particle sizes dispersed successfully within the PCL/chitosan fibres. Crucially, after immersion in simulated body fluid the composite fibres grew a layer of hydroxycarbonate apatite, confirming they retain the bioactivity needed for bone-tissue-engineering scaffolds.