Polycaprolactone fibers with self-assembled peptide micro/nanotubes: a practical route towards enhanced mechanical strength and drug delivery applications

摘要: Peptide-based scaffolds are a frontier research area in materials science with widespread impact biomedical engineering. In this paper, we describe hybrid material formulated through the conjugation of electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL) fibers and micro/nanotubes l,l-diphenylalanine (FF-MNTs). Morphology crystallinity composite matrices investigated using wide range analytical techniques including electron microscopy, thermal analyses, X-ray diffraction micro-tomography. Peptide assemblies found to produce deep modifications on microstructure PCL fibers, impacting average diameters, degree porous size polymer network. These changes correlated mechanical properties resulting scaffolds, whose strength is exhibit brittle-to-ductile transition upon increasing amount FF-MNTs lead enhanced Young's moduli fibers. The PCL/FF-MNTs composites were tested for drug delivery application lipophilic drug, benzocaine. vitro permeation studies have shown that these polymer/peptide hybrids able steady release benzocaine over periods up ∼13 hours, much higher than commercially available gel formulations. Enzymatic tests significant increment biodegradation rates containing peptide amounts, which exhibited almost 100% weight loss against only 10% pure PCL. Our findings indicate simple route towards achieving networks ability promote controlled from completely biodegradable matrix.