CONDUCTIVE POLYMERIC-BASED ELECTROACTIVE SCAFFOLDS IN TISSUE ENGINEERING: SYNTHESIS, FABRICATION, AND ELECTRICAL STIMULATION

• Main Author: Tri Ariski, Ridhola
• Format: Theses
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/62520
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Electroactive scaffolds and the delivery of electrical stimuli have a positive and potentially great effect on cellular activities, thus attracting attention in their application in tissue engineering. Polyaniline (PANI) which is a conductive polymer (CPs) allows it to be applied as a composite scaffold that has conductive properties. In this study, PANI was synthesized by chemical oxidation method and mixed with Polycaprolactone (PCL) through manual physical melt blending method. The resulting PANI and PCL/PANI were characterized by means of Fourier Transformation Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) to confirm the successful formation of PANI and mixing of PANI to PCL. The PCL/PANI polymer composite will be fabricated into an electroactive scaffold using the screw-assisted extrusion-based 3D printing method. Therefore, a modification of the commonly available filament-based 3D printing tool into a pellet-based screw-assisted extrusion 3D printing tool is proposed. After conducting a literature review, a suitable modification design proposal is submitted. In addition, the effect of electrical stimulation on the CPs-based electroactive scaffold and the parameters involved were also studied so that the design and initial set-up of the electrical stimulation process on the PCL/PANI electroactive scaffold was determined. Finally, will be discussed the latest progress on the utilization strategy and the advantages of using CPs as electroactive scaffolds in tissue engineering. The use of CPs with other materials in electroactive scaffolds through several strategies showed enhancing of the mechanical properties, hydrophilicity, biocompatibility, biodegradability, and conductivity of the electroactive scaffold.