Rational design of nanofibrous scaffolds via bionic coating: Microstructural behavior and in vitro biological evaluation

Fabricating electrospun nanofibrous scaffolds from a combination of inorganic-organic hybrid materials is proposed as a versatile process in bone tissue engineering. However, to enhance or improve the interface issues of biphasic hybrid materials is still a challenge on how to balance the preparation conditions and physicochemical properties. Here, we designed the mussel-inspired surface assembly with copper-doped mesoporous bioactive glass (Cu-MBG) into polylactic acid (PLA) substance to enhance their mechanical and biological performances. The introduction of polydopamine (PDA) into the Cu-MBG matrix was to retain the mesostructure and improve physiological stability. Also, the nanofibrous hybrid scaffolds with/without PDA (i.e., PLA/Cu-MBG@PDA, PLA/Cu-MBG) were fabricated to evaluate the microstructural, mechanical properties, and biological features. The PDA modification in such fibrous structure could not only adjust the physicochemical properties and surface hydrophilicity, but also enhance its tensile strength. PLA/Cu-MBG@PDA exhibited strength of 5.57 MPa and elongation at break of 65.75%, showing an improvement over PLA/Cu-MBG. Extensive in vitro biological evaluation showed that the PLA/Cu-MBG@PDA scaffold exhibited many superior properties such as excellent apatite-formation ability, and enhanced cell viability compared with PLA/Cu-MBG scaffold. The mussel-inspired method provided a facile and effective strategy to combine the merits of organic/inorganic phase in one system, demonstrating its potential application in bone tissue regeneration. • An organic-inorganic nanofibrous scaffolds was fabricated by introducing PDA-functionalized Cu-MBG bioglass into PLA matrix. • The PDA-functionalized bioglass modified scaffolds regulated their mechanical and biological performances. • The PDA-functionalized bioglass modified scaffolds possessed good cytocompatibility and positive osteogenic differentiation.