Poly (ε-caprolactone) Fiber: An Overview

Poly (ε-caprolactone), (PCL) or simply polycaprolactone as it is usually referred to, is a synthetic biodegradable aliphatic polyester which has attracted considerable attention in recent years, notably in the biomedical areas of controlled-release drug delivery systems, absorbable surgical sutures, nerve guides, and three-dimensional (3-D) scaffolds, for use in tissue engineering. Various polymeric devices like microspheres, microcapsules, nanoparticles, pellets, implants, and films have been fabricated using this polymer. It can be transformed by spinning into filaments for subsequent fabrication of desirable textile structures. Spinning may be accomplished by various approaches. The fibers may be fabricated into various forms and can be used for implants and other surgical applications such as sutures. Although numerous studies have investigated different properties and applications of PCL, there is no comprehensive study investigating different fabrication methods of PCL fibers and their biomedical applications. The present article presents a review on the production of PCL fiber via various methods, along with correlations between structure and properties of the fibers. The applications of these fibers in biomedical domains are also discussed.