Silk fibroin/sodium alginate composite nano-fibrous scaffold prepared through thermally induced phase-separation (TIPS) method for biomedical applications

To mimic the natural fibrous structure of the tissue extracellular matrix, a nano-fibrous silk fibroin (SF)/sodium alginate (SA) composite scaffold was fabricated by a thermally-induced phase-separation method. The effects of SF/SA ratio on the structure and the porosity of the composite scaffolds were examined. Scanning electron microscopy and porosity results showed that the 5SF/1SA and 3SF/1SA scaffolds possessed an excellent nano-fibrous structure and a porosity of more than 90%. Fourier transform infrared, X-ray diffraction, and differential scanning calorimetry results indicated the physical interaction between SF and SA molecules and their good compatibility in the 5SF/1SA and 3SF/1SA scaffolds, whereas they showed less compatibility in the 1SF/1SA scaffold. Cell culture results showed that MG-63 cells can attach and grow well on the surface of the SF/SA scaffolds. The nano-fibrous SF/SA scaffold can be potentially used in tissue engineering.