Tailoring of Architecture and Intrinsic Structure of Electrospun Nanofibers by Process Parameters for Tissue Engineering Applications

Book chapter in Nanofiber Research – Reaching New Heights (IntechOpen), Ch. 10 · 2016
DOI: 10.5772/64177

Summary

Electrospun nanofibers are widely used as tissue-engineering scaffolds because their morphology resembles the natural extracellular matrix, and because the process is flexible and inexpensive — supporting regeneration of cartilage, ligaments, tendons, muscle and bone. This review chapter explains how the architecture and intrinsic structure of electrospun fibers can be deliberately tailored through process and solution parameters. It discusses how factors of the electrospinning process shape fiber diameter, alignment, porosity and internal molecular organisation, and how the choice of material — polyesters, their copolymers, blends with natural biopolymers such as gelatin, collagen or chitosan, or composites with nanoparticles — tunes the required scaffold properties. By connecting parameter choices to the resulting fiber architecture, the chapter provides guidance for designing electrospun scaffolds suited to specific tissue-engineering applications.

Authors & Affiliations

Topics

Fiber Architecture Process Parameters Tissue Engineering Scaffolds Review

Linari Electrospinning Systems

Electrospinning machines by Linari Nanotech
Linari Nanotech designs and manufactures electrospinning systems whose process parameters — voltage, flow rate, collector and needle configuration — let researchers tailor nanofiber architecture for tissue engineering.
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