Electro-conductive nanofibrous structure based on PGS/PCL coated with PPy by in situ chemical polymerization applicable as cardiac patch: Fabrication and optimization

Abstract

As a special structure and due to the unique properties of submicron-scale fibers and electrical conductivity, conductive nanofibers recently attracted further attention in various fields, especially tissue engineering. This study aimed to coat poly (glycerol sebacate) (PGS) nanofiber/poly(caprolactone) (PCL) as a widely used combination in the fields of medicine with poly(pyrrole) (PPy) as a conductive polymer, subsequently studying and optimizing production process variables using response surface methodology (RSM). The samples were examined for morphological and structural, and their electrical conductivity and electroactivity were measured using a four-point probe system and a cyclic voltammetry, respectively. The electrospinning conditions for constructing the substrate nanofibers with the smallest diameter were optimized. The monomer concentration of 0.05M and the polymerization time of 3.3 h exploiting the RSM were also considered as the optimal conditions for obtaining coated-nanofibers with the smallest diameter and desired electrical conductivity (0.001 S/cm). The structural findings confirmed the successful synthesis of PGS and PPy. The conductive-nanofiber produced under optimal conditions revealed good mechanical properties (tensile strength = 3.12 +/- 0.19 MPa and elongation at break = 80.26 +/- 13.71). The highest biocompatibility was observed for the sample synthesized with the pyrrole concentration of 0.05M, which can be a suitable candidate for application in cardiac tissue engineering.