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A novel method for preparing electrospun fibers with nano-/micro-scale porous structures

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Abstract

Electrospun fibers with nano-/micro-scale porous structures were successfully fabricated from polymer solutions that contained suspended micro-/nano-size salt particles of sodium chloride or calcium carbonate, which were subsequently removed through a leaching process after electrospinning. It was found that the size and dispersion of the salt particles had significant effects on the pore size and pore distribution in the resulting electrospun fibers. Using sodium chloride salt particles in the electrospinning process should not induce any residual toxicity in the resulting porous fibers. Therefore, this approach provides a very simple and versatile method in the fabrication of electrospun fibers that have secondary nano-/micro-scale porous structures, which are desirable in many important biomedical applications including tissue engineering and controllable drug release.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by grants from the Bioprocessing and Biosensing Center at University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA, and China Scholarship Council, China.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bioengineering College of Chongqing University, “111 Project” Laboratory of Biomechanics and Tissue Repair of Ministry of Education, Chongqing, 400044, China

    Yazhou Wang, Bochu Wang, Guixue Wang & Tieying Yin

  2. Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Center for Surface Science and Plasma Technology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA

    Yazhou Wang & Qingsong Yu

Authors
  1. Yazhou Wang
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  2. Bochu Wang
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  3. Guixue Wang
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  4. Tieying Yin
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  5. Qingsong Yu
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Correspondence to Bochu Wang.

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Wang, Y., Wang, B., Wang, G. et al. A novel method for preparing electrospun fibers with nano-/micro-scale porous structures. Polym. Bull. 63, 259–265 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00289-009-0078-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00289-009-0078-3

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