Microstructure and characteristic properties of gelatin/chitosan scaffold prepared by a combined freeze-drying/leaching method.

M Alizadeh, F Abbasi, A B Khoshfetrat, H Ghaleh

Index: Mater. Sci. Eng. C. Mater. Biol. Appl. 33(7) , 3958-67, (2013)

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Abstract

A combined freeze-drying and particulate leaching method for scaffold synthesis showed an improvement in the horizontal microstructure of the gelatin/chitosan scaffolds. Type and concentration of the cross-linking agent, freezing temperature, concentration of the polymeric solution and gelatin/chitosan weight ratio were the variables affecting the scaffold properties. Assessment of the tensile properties of the scaffolds revealed that for a scaffold with 50% chitosan, glutaraldehyde, as a cross-linking agent, created much tighter polymeric network compared to N,N-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-N'-ethyl carbodiimide (EDC). However, in the case of gelatin scaffolds, EDC was identified as the stronger cross-linker. Compressive behavior of the scaffolds satisfied formulations obtained from the theoretical modeling of the low-density, elastomeric foams. The investigation of the scaffold degradation indicated that the increase in the mechanical strength of the scaffolds would not always reduce their degradation rate. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.