Analysis of Nanofiber-based Scaffolds

Abstract

Nanotechnology is of international interest because nanofibers are becoming an alternate growth surface for cell transportation during plastic surgery or organ transplants. The purpose of this experiment was to fabricate a nanofiber-based scaffold using different polymer solutions and different voltages, 5 and 21 kV. It was hypothesized that a nanofiber-based scaffold could be successfully created by using the process of electrospinning and that the various voltages and different solutions would have an effect on the surface area of the scaffold. The procedure used during this experiment was generally modeled after a previous study by J.R. Venugopal, except the independent variables were different in the current experiment.  Electrospinning was used to spin the fibers onto a collection plate.  Two polymer solutions were used; one made of methanol, choloroform, and PCL, and another made of PCL, HFP, and collagen. The diameters of the fibers were measured after viewing under an electron microscope. A greater number of smaller fibers indicated greater surface area and a more efficient scaffold. To analyze the data, two t-tests were performed to determine the significance of the variables. It was found that the different voltages were not statistically significant. However, the difference between the separate solutions was statistically significant. The collagen fibers provided more surface area for the future growth of cells. As a preliminary study, epidermal cells were grown on a scaffold sample and viewed under a microscope. It showed that the scaffold aided the growth of cells. Research supported by Rockdale Magnet School.