Reinforced electrospun PLLA fiber membrane via chemical crosslinking

Biodegradable polymeric fiber membranes produced by electrospinning have been candidate for tissue engineering, but they sometimes lack the necessary mechanical stability. In the work, electrospun poly ( l -lactide) fiber membranes are chemically crosslinked by adding dicumyl peroxide (DCP) and triallylisocyanurate (TAIC). Their corresponding properties such as morphology, thermodynamics, mechanics, degradation and cytotoxicity are investigated. Morphology of PLLA fiber is maintained after crosslinking, but its crystallization and melting temperature is influenced by chemical crosslinking. The membranous tensile strength and modulus not only climb with TAIC concentration increasing, but also depend strongly on crosslinked temperature which the best is 140   °C. Compared to neat PLLA, degradation rate of the crosslinked PLLA membrane is slower. At the same time, it is also non-cytotoxic. The results suggest that the chemical crosslinking improves the mechanical properties of PLLA fiber membrane and keeps its mechanical stability longer, making it more suitable for tissue engineering.