Novel electrospun polyurethane scaffolds containing bioactive glass nanoparticles

In the present study, polyurethane (PU) nanocomposite scaffolds containing bioactive glass nanoparticles (BG-NPs) were successfully fabricated through the electrospinning process. The BG-NPs were synthesized through the sol–gel method. PU solutions (10% w/v) containing different weight percentages of the BG-NPs (5, 10 and 15 wt.%) in dimethylformamide/tetrahydrofuran were prepared. To determine both the size of BG-NPs and the diameter of the nanofibers, transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy were carried out. The surface morphology, mechanical properties, bioactivity and degradation rate of the scaffolds were studied. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy confirmed the presence of BG within the scaffolds. The tensile strength of nanocomposite scaffolds was in the range 5–8 MPa, which is in good agreement with the tensile strength of cancellous bone tissue. MG63 cells attached to and proliferated well within the scaffolds; therefore, cellular growth was also improved in the nanocomposite scaffolds. Based on the results, the novel PU/BG-NP (10 wt.%) nanocomposite scaffold has a great potential to be applied in cancellous bone tissue engineering.