Biopolymers have become of great interest as composites for scaffolds in tissue engineering due to their good mechanical strength and biocompatibility. Avicel microcrystalline cellulose and Bombyx Mori silk are ideal candidates that when regenerated together create a multi-hierarchical hydrogel system. Ionic liquids can be utilized for polymer dissolution, while water or a water derivative is used to both regenerate the finished product and wash away any remaining ionic liquid residues. The hydrofilm’s morphology, topology and thermal stability can be tuned in the system by three factors: percent material composition, type of ionic liquid and type of coagulant. Multiple characterization tests, such as Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), and X-ray scattering are used to aid in the analysis of the regenerated films. Such natural-based scaffolds with good biocompatibility and tunable properties can further be studied by comparing scaffold architecture to cell functionality, i.e adhesion, propagation and/or differentiation. Knowledge gained by studies such as this can be utilized in multiple fields of interest, including tissue engineering for medical purposes or the food industry, such as culture-grown animal products.<br/>

Correlations between the morphology, topology, mechanical and thermal stability of biopolymer scaffolds fabricated from ionic liquids with muscle cell functionalities

2019 Spring National Meeting

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