Evaluation of the polycaprolactone hydrolytic degradation in acid solvent and its influence on the electrospinning process

Abstract

AbstractPolycaprolactone (PCL) is a pivotal biopolymer in biomedicine, especially in tissue engineering for scaffolds and biomaterials. Recognized for its effectiveness as a drug carrier with superior controlled release properties, PCL is commonly processed via electrospinning, typically employing chlorinated or fluorinated solvents known for cellular toxicity. As an environmentally conscious alternative, this study explores glacial acetic acid (AA) as a solvent for electrospinning solutions. Investigating PCL's molecular degradation through acid hydrolysis in acidic solvents (AA/formic acid) (FA), the study assesses the impact of storage time on resulting structures. Solutions containing 30% PCL in AA/FA (9:1) were stored at 35°C for up to 14 days, revealing a 50% molar mass reduction during solubilization through gel permeation chromatography, x‐ray diffraction, and Fourier‐transform infrared analyses. This reduction influenced chain packing, raising crystallinity indices from approximately 37% to 49% with prolonged storage. The reduced molar mass resulted in unstable Taylor cones, generating diverse mat morphologies. Intriguingly, this degradation enhanced water adsorption capacity, indicating exposed hydrogen bonds from acid hydrolysis as an advantageous trait for regenerative medicine. This underscores the hydrolyzed materials' potential for cell anchoring in tissue engineering.