An innovative method to fabricate honeycomb-like poly(ε-caprolactone)/nano-hydroxyapatite scaffolds

The novel honeycomb-like poly(ε-caprolactone)/nano-hydroxyapatite whiskers composite (PCL/nHA) scaffolds were fabricated by an innovative biotemplating technique based on the negative NaCl mold of cane. The microstructure, mechanical properties and in vitro cytocompatibility of the scaffolds were characterized using SEM, mechanical tests and MTT assay. SEM revealed the good transformation of cane structure into PCL/nHA composite. The PCL/nHA scaffolds had a bimodal pore distribution with interconnected channels ranging from 50 to 260 μm surrounded by micropores of <20 μm. The compressive modulus and porosity were 275.1 kPa and 95.87%, respectively. The in vitro biological evaluation with MG-63 cells confirmed that the incorporation of nHA whiskers into PCL matrix significantly improved initial cell attachment and proliferation. The results suggest that the novel PCL/nHA scaffolds are promising for application in bone tissue engineering.

► Honeycomb-like PCL/nHA scaffolds were fabricated by a novel biotemplating method.
► nHA whiskers improved the mechanical and biological properties of PCL scaffolds.
► The PCL/nHA scaffolds had a high porosity of 95.87%.
► The novel PCL/nHA scaffolds are promising for bone tissue engineering application.