Page 217 - Biodegradable Polyesters

8.2 Material Preparation and Characterization 195

Electrospinning was carried out using an 8 wt%/v PLA solution mixed with each
of three PCL solutions, namely, 9 wt%/v HMW PCL solution, 15 wt%/v HMW
PCL solution, and 15 wt%/v LMW PCL solution. PLA and PCL solutions were
mixed at different blend ratios of 1/0, 3/1, 1/1, 1/3, and 0/1 with three solvents,
consisting of a DCM /DMF mixture at a blend ratio of 3/1, a chloroform/methanol
mixture at 2/1 and a chloroform/acetone mixture at 2/1, along with the calculated
PLA/PCL fiber compositions, Table 8.2. The mixing process continued at room
temperature in a benchtop orbital shaking incubator for about 3 h.
TCH of 5 wt%/v was dissolved in methanol using an orbital shaking incubator,
and then was mixed with polymer blend solutions (8 wt%/v PLA mixed with 9
and 15 wt%/v PCL at blend ratio of 1/1 by volume). The TCH-loaded fiber mats
were cut into size of 2 cm × 2 cm and underwent a rotary shaker incubation (rotor

Table 8.2 Material formulations used in this study [60].

Formulation Polymer composition PLA/PCL blend Cosolventtypeand PLA/PCL fiber
number in solution (wt%/v) ratio in solution composition in composition
(v/v) solution (v/v)

1 PLA 1/0 DCM/DMF (3/1) 100/0
2 PLA/15% HMW PCL 3/1 DCM/DMF (3/1) 65/35
3 PLA/15% HMW PCL 1/1 DCM/DMF (3/1) 40/60
4 PLA/15% HMW PCL 1/3 DCM/DMF (3/1) 20/80
5 15% HMW PCL 0/1 DCM/DMF (3/1) 0/100
6 PLA/15% LMW PCL 3/1 DCM/DMF (3/1) 80/20
7 PLA/15% LMW PCL 1/1 DCM/DMF (3/1) 60/40
8 PLA/15% LMW PCL 1/3 DCM/DMF (3/1) 35/65
9 PLA 1/0 Chloroform/ 100/0
methanol (2/1)
10 PLA/15% HMW PCL 1/1 Chloroform/ 40/60
methanol (2/1)
11 PLA/9% HMW PCL 1/1 Chloroform/ 50/50
methanol (2/1)
12 PLA/15% LMW PCL 3/1 Chloroform/ 80/20
methanol (2/1)
13 PLA/15% LMW PCL 1/1 Chloroform/ 60/40
methanol (2/1)
14 PLA/15% LMW PCL 1/3 Chloroform/ 35/65
methanol (2/1)
15 PLA 1/0 Chloroform/ 100/0
acetone (2/1)
16 PLA/15% LMW PCL 3/1 Chloroform/ 80/20
acetone (2/1)
17 PLA/15% LMW PCL 1/1 Chloroform/ 60/40
acetone (2/1)
18 PLA/15% LMW PCL 1/3 Chloroform/ 35/65
acetone (2/1)