Poly(1,3-Butylene Fumerate) and Poly(1,3-Butylene Fumerate)-co-(1,3-Butylene Maleate) as Electrospun Scaffold Materials

AbstractPoly(butylene fumerate) (PBF) and poly(butylene fumerate)-co-(butylene maleate) (PBFcBM) have been synthesized from the ring opening and condensation reactions of maleic anhydride (MA) and 1,3-butanediol (BD). PBFcBM synthesized in this way contains greater than 85% maleate groups. Both PBF and PBFcBM have a glass transition temperature (Tg) below room temperature and therefore cannot be electrospun using the conventional electrospinning process as a non-porous film results. To facilitate production of nonwoven micro- and nano-fiber mats, a UV-source (λ=356 nm) was used in combination with a photoinitator loaded polymer solution to initiate the crosslinking reaction of the fumerate and maleate functional groups as the fibers were produced. The resulting non-woven fiber mats are potentially suitable scaffolds for tissue engineering and drug delivery application.