PhD Scientific Days 2022

Translational Medicine II. (Poster discussion will take place in the Aula during the Coffee Break)

Characterizing three-dimensional artificial matrices

Text of the abstract

The history of the electrospinning technique started couple of centuries ago. The technique has evolved continuously and found several applications. The method of electrospinning is a widely investigated and used technique for creating nano and microfibers which has a wide range of medical and pharmaceutical applications. For cell culturing and tissue engineering it is a greatly investigated method because it resembles the extracellular matrix. Polymers are widely used in our everyday life and also in medicine. For that reason, natural and biocompatible polymers are getting more and more attention. To create a high porosity fibrous mesh for culturing cells in a suitable three-dimensional way, we need to step forward from conventional electrospinning. Very little is currently known about the deformation mechanisms and stiffness of materials produced by electrospinning, and different applications (technical or biomedical) require different mechanical properties.
My aim was to create and characterize three-dimensional fiber structures from Poly(succinimide) with the help of electrospinning. The effect of the presence of different inorganic salts (LiCl, MgCl2, CaCl2) and the effect of humidity on the fiber structures were investigated. The conductivity and infrared spectra of salt-solvent, polymer solution and the fibers were measured. Increasing the amount of CaCl2 increased the tensile strength as well. Data were collected to characterize the points of rupture in the mechanical curve. For this reason, a piezo based device were developed. A critical humidity level was defined as a threshold to create 3D fiber structures. The fiber diameter and surface roughness were analyzed and observed with the help of Scanning Electron Microscopy. The results could contribute to understanding the cause of 3D fiber structure phenomena and also to create complex fiber systems in a reproducible way for all kinds of purposes, but mainly to be used in biomedicine.
This research was supported by NKFIH FK 137749, ÚNKP-21-3-II-SE-56, TKP2021-EGA-23, EFOP-3.6.3-VEKOP-16-2017-00009, Campus France.