Tailoring the surface architecture of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate) scaffolds

This study was designed to determine whether the surface modifications of the various poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate‐co‐4‐hydroxybutyrate) [P(3HB‐co‐4HB)] copolymer scaffolds fabricated would enhance mouse fibroblast cells (L929) attachment and proliferation. The P(3HB‐co‐4HB) copolymer with a wide range of 4HB monomer composition (16–91 mol %) was synthesized by a local isolate Cupriavidus sp. USMAA1020 by employing the modified two‐stage cultivation and by varying the concentrations of 4HB precursors, namely γ‐butyrolactone and 1,4‐butanediol. Five different processing techniques were used in fabricating the P(3HB‐co‐4HB) copolymer scaffolds such as solvent casting, salt‐leaching, enzyme degradation, combining salt‐leaching with enzyme degradation, and electrospinning. The increase in 4HB composition lowered melting temperatures (Tm) but increased elongation to break. P(3HB‐co‐91 mol % 4HB) exhibited a melting point of 46°C and elongation to break of 380%. The atomic force analysis showed an increase in the average surface roughness as the 4HB monomer composition increased. The mouse fibroblasts (L929) cell attachment was found to increase with high 4HB monomer composition in copolymer scaffolds. These results illustrate the importance of a detailed characterization of surface architecture of scaffolds to provoke specific cellular responses. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012