Surface collagen functionalization of electrospun poly(vinyl alcohol) scaffold for tissue engineering

The limited solubility of collagen is one of the main limitations to achieving electrospun mats based on this biomacromolecule. Postelectrospinning functionalization has emerged as a suitable alternative for effective collagen incorporation into biocompatible nanofiber mats without compromising their bioactivity. In this work, the enrichment of poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) nanofibers was attained by their postelectrospinning surface functionalization with nonsolubilized collagen through the esterification of hydroxyl groups of the PVA backbone via Steglich esterification using mild conditions. FTIR and XPS confirmed successful ester bond formation, while the thermal and mechanical results show the different behavior of PVA nanofibers after functionalization. Collagen functionalization enhanced the cytocompatibility behavior of PVA nanofibers, promoting the growth of HEK-293 cells. Thus, this novel methodology allows for the bioconjugation of nonsolubilized collagen to the surface of PVA nanofibrous mats, producing cytocompatible scaffolds while preserving the structural capabilities of collagen to support cell attachment and proliferation.