Synthesis and characterization of composite electrospun fibers containing bioactive glass powders

Electrospinning is a well-established technique widely used for the fabrication of micro- and nanofibrous mats for numerous applications, including for the biomedical field, e.g. drug delivery and tissue engineering scaffolds. Bioactive glasses (BGs) are non crystalline materials that are able to bond with living tissue and stimulate new tissue growth. Because of their high biomineralization ability, biodegradability, osteogenic and angiogenic potential, BGs are promising candidates for tissue-engineering applications. The aim of this master thesis project is the fabrication and characterization of composite electrospun fibers containing bioactive glass particles. Bioactive glass containing boron and copper have been prepared via sol-gel process and characterized using SEM, EDS, BET, XRD and bioactivity analysis; this part of the master thesis was performed at Politecnico di Torino (Turin, Italy). After that, at University Friedrich-Alexander of Erlangen (Germany), composite fibers were prepared using the electrospinning technique. For the preparation of these fibers, the following materials have been used: poly(ε-caprolactone), benign solvents and sol-gel bioactive glasses. The processing parameters have been optimized, in order to enhance the potential of these composite materials for tissue application. Fibers have been characterized by means of SEM, EDS, FTIR, water contact angle measurements, mechanical tensile test, bioactivity analysis, degradation test and biological assay.