07 Pantojas.indd

address correspondence to: Dr. Victor Pantojas, Math-Physics Department, Universidad de Puerto Rico en cayey, 205 ave. antonio R. Barceló, cayey, PR 00736. Tel: (787) 738 2162 ext. 3257 • E-mail: [email protected] Scaffolds composed of a mixture of poly (L-lactic) acid (PLLA) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) biodegradable polymers were prepared by electrospinning. Threedimensional scaffolds of highly porous non-woven fibers were produced for biomedical applications and coated with calcium phosphate for bone tissue engineering. A mixture (80/20) of PLLA/PEG was dissolved at 5.7%, 7%, 8% and 9% blend solution concentrations. The structure and morphology of the scaffolds were investigated by scanning electron microscopy. Average fiber diameters ranging from 600 nm to 800 nm were obtained as result of the change in viscosity. The low polymer concentration fibers were found to be flat with fused junctions between fibers. For high polymer concentrations fibers they were cylindrical with fibers overlaying each other. For samples deposited at 9% concentration, individual fibers contained pores on their surface with nanometric dimensions. In addition, thin films of calcium deficient hydroxyapatite were prepared by rf magnetron sputtering on silicon substrates heated to temperatures between 300-600°C. These results suggest that it is feasible to fabricate biopolymer scaffolds using methods combining electrospinning and sputtering techniques.