Poly(ε-caprolactone) triacrylate (PCLTA) and PCL fumarate (PCLF) are a photo-crosslinkable, injectable, and biodegradable polymeric biomaterials for diverse tissue engineering applications. To engineer its physical properties for bone regeneration, we incorporated PCL networks with polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS), which is a silicon-based monomer with a nano-sized cage. A photo-reactive methacryl isobutyl POSS was blended with PCLTA and photo-crosslinked. Homogeneous nanohybrid networks were prepared by photo-crosslinking POSS with two PCLTAs having molecular weights of ~7,000 and ~20,000 g/mol at the POSS weight compositions (φPOSS) of 0-20%. The lower-molecular-weight PCLTA resulted in amorphous networks while the higher one resulted in semi-crystalline networks. POSS nanocages tethered in the PCLTA networks greatly enhanced the mechanical and rheological properties, but did not significantly alter the surface wettability and the capability of adsorbing serum proteins from cell culture media. Differently, PCLF was copolymerized with 1,2-propanediol isobutyl POSS at φPOSS of 0, 5, 10, and 20% and photo-crosslinked into nanohybrid networks. Better mouse pre-osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cell attachment, spreading, and proliferation were found on the stiffer PCLTA20k networks than on the PCLTA7k ones, and on the networks with φPOSS of 10-20% than the networks containing no POSS. Mineralization of MC3T3-E1 cell cultured for two weeks showed a significantly higher alkaline phosphatase activity and more mineralized nodules on the PCLTA20k networks with φPOSS of 10-20%, in correlation with their enhanced mechanical properties. The present results indicated that this series of nanohybrid PCLTA/POSS networks with improved mechanical properties and osteoconductivity has great potential as scaffolding materials for bone repair and regeneration.

Enhanced bone cell functions on poly(ε-caprolactone) networks grafted with polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane nanocages

249th National Meeting (2015)

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