Abstract

Electrospinning recognized as a simple and inexpensive process for producing continuous polymeric nanofibers with diameters ranging from several micrometers down to tens of nanometers. In this study, an electrospun nanofibrous scaffolds based on lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) and nanohydroxyapatite (nano-HA) was developed. The fiber morphology and mean fiber diameter of prepared nanofibers were investigated by scanning electron microscopy. FTIR analysis demonstrated that there were strong intramolecular interactions between the molecules of PLGA and nano-HA. A more systematic understanding of process parameters was obtained and a quantitative relationship between electrospinning parameters and average fiber diameter was established by using response surface methodology. A response surface function was empirically determined by central composite design using fiber diameter as an observed response and the electrospinning parameters such as concentration, distance, applied voltage, temperature and flow rate as variables. The regression coefficient of the model was found to be 0.938. The predicted fiber diameter was in good agreement with the experimental result. PLGA/nano-HA nanofibrous scaffolds could be good candidates for tissue engineering applications.