Characterization of Electrospun Novel Poly(ester-ether) Copolymers: 1,4-Dioxan-2-one and D,L-3-Methyl-1,4-dioxan-2-one

Introduction: Because tissue engineering scaffolds serve as a temporary environment until new tissue can be formed, their mechanical performance, thermal properties, and biocompatibility are critical for maintaining their functionality. The goal of this study was to electrospin scaffolds from copolymers containing varying amounts of 1,4-Dioxan-2-one (DX) and D,L-3-Methyl-1,4-dioxan-2-one (DL-3-MeDX), and characterize their mechanical and thermal properties. Methods and Results: Image tool analysis of scanning electron micrographs revealed the presence of DL-3-MeDX causes the fiber diameter of the scaffold to decrease as compared to polydioxanone (PDO). Uniaxial tensile testing revealed increasing amounts of DL-3-MeDX in the copolymer decreases scaffold peak stress, strain at break and toughness. Modulated differential scanning calorimetry was used for thermal analysis of the scaffolds and showed that increasing amounts of DL-3-MeDX causes a decrease in the melting as well as crystallization temperatures. Conclusion: Based on the results of the mechanical and thermal properties of these copolymer scaffolds, it is evident that these constructs could be functional in a variety of biomedical engineering applications.