Controlled compositions of tellurium/vanadium co-doped into hydroxyapatite/ε-polycaprolactone for wound healing applications

Abstract

Hydroxyapatite (HAP) was co-doped with tellurium and vanadium ions via the co-precipitation method. Pure HAP nanoparticles were embedded through polymeric materials, such as polycaprolactone (PCL), to improve and upgrade their functionality. The PCL/HAP scaffold nanofiber has been successfully prepared using the electrospinning method and analyzed including nanostructure, surface roughness, and tensile strength. The roughness increased from 37.6 to 71.4 nm through a powdered phase, while it developed from 54.1 to 114.4 nm for the nanofibrous membranes. Furthermore, the mechanical behavior has been studied and showed a progression upon the addition of Te ions from 7.45 ± 0.8 to 10.38 ± 1.4 MPa in tensile strength. The contact angle was measured. It was reduced, indicating the modification of hydrophilicity of pristine PCL. The angle values decreased from 105.4 to 88.5° within the nanofibrous scaffolds. The scaffolds were cultured with the fibroblast cell line for three days, whereas the cells proliferated and grew through the scaffolds considerably.