Preparation of open-porous stereocomplex PLA/PBAT scaffolds and correlation between their morphology, mechanical behavior, and cell compatibility

For tissue engineering applications, it is essential that biodegradable scaffolds have accessible mechanical properties, high porosity, and good biocompatibility to support the formation of new tissues. In this study, we have prepared stereocomplex polylactide (sc-PLA) incorporated poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) scaffolds by non-solvent induced phase separation (NIPS). Also, we have characterized and compared the morphology, thermal, mechanical, and wettability properties as well as preliminary biocompatibility of scaffolds. The developed sc-PLA/PBAT scaffolds possess high porosity (>94%), well-connected open microporous structures, accessible mechanical properties, and excellent water permeability. As the content of PBAT increased, the average diameter of the sc-PLA/PBAT scaffolds decreased while the mechanical properties improved. The tensile strength was improved to 3.8 MPa while the neat PLA scaffold was 0.3 MPa, and the elongation of the scaffold was six times higher than neat PLA scaffold. Fibroblasts cells seeded on the structure maintained phenotypic shape, and the developed scaffold structure was observed to be highly capable of supporting the cell attachment and proliferation.