Self-assembled porous film with interconnected 3-dimensional structure from 6sPCL-PMPC copolymer

Abstract

Porous films are widely used in many fields. In this study, we reported a convenient method for the fabrication of biodegradable porous film with a fibrous frame and good interconnectivity. The porous films were formed just by evaporating the solvent of the copolymer solution, which is composed of six-armed star-shaped poly(ε-caprolactone)-poly(2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine) (6sPCL-PMPC) in a mixed solvent of tetrahydrofuran (THF) and methanol. Since biodegradable porous films have been widely used in tissue engineering as scaffolds, this handy procedure may significantly facilitate the scaffold fabrication. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and ¹H NMR spectra were used to investigate the formation mechanism. Factors that affect the film morphology, like temperature, water and composition of the mixed solvent, were also studied.