Characterization and preparation of three-dimensional-printed biocompatible scaffolds with highly porous strands

The highly porous structure and hydrophilic surface of tissue-engineered scaffolds have proven to be effective for cell attachment. In this study, we fabricated a polycaprolactone/pluronic F127 (PCL/F127) composite scaffold using a three-dimensional (3D) printing system; the mechanical properties, porosity, and hydrophilicity of the PCL/F127 scaffold was compared to a polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffold. Both PCL and PCL/F127 scaffolds exhibited uniform interconnected strands under scanning electron microscopy observation. The PCL scaffold exhibited no pores in its strands; however, the PCL/F127 scaffold included nano- (∼200 nm) and micropores. Compared with the PCL scaffold, the PCL/F127 scaffold had a hydrophilic surface (contact angle measurement ≈0°). Although the PCL/F127 scaffold (4.07±0.11 MPa) had a lower compressive strength than the PCL scaffold (5.09±0.10 MPa), the surface of the PCL/F127 scaffold was fully covered by cells due to its enhanced surface properties. These results indicated that our developed scaffolds may be useful for rapid tissue repair in biomedical engineering.