Tuning the Tensile Strength of Electrospun Fibers by Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticle Integration for Tissue Engineering Applications

The field of nanomedicine and tissue engineering has been gaining more and more interest in recent years. The use of nanoparticles in tissue engineering has brought a new dimension to this field. However, the mechanical features of scaffolds are the main factor for the governance of their potential applications. In this study, mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) loaded electrospun PLGA scaffolds were manufactured. The morphology of MSN, PLGA fibers and PLGA-MSN integrated fibers were analyzed by electron microscopy imaging. The dispersity of MSN and zeta potential in colloidal suspension was analyzed. Subsequently in order to have understanding the mechanical properties of MSN loaded scaffolds; mechanical tests were performed. Results showed that MSNs are promising candidates in order to modify mechanical properties of the scaffolds and could be used as key components in various tissue engineering applications.