Reinforcing Polycaprolactone (PCL) nanofiber with a recombinant mussel adhesive protein-1 (Rmfp-1)

Abstract

Electrospun Poly (ε-caprolactone) (PCL) nanofibers have been widely used for tissue engineering applications. However, the poor mechanical properties of PCL nanofibers limit their further utilization in hard tissue engineering. To improve the mechanical properties of PCL nanofibers, we fabricated nanofiber mats by blending PCL and recombinant mussel coating protein (Rmfp-1) to mimic the protective coating of mussels (Mytilus species) which is hard (~comparable to epoxy resin) yet flexible(ε~>70%). The stiffness of PCL/Rmfp-1 nanofiber mat increases linearly with the concentration of DOPA-Fe3+ complex which is a key component of the mussel protective coating in mfp-1. Mimicking the mussel protective coating is a new strategy to enhance the mechanical properties of biomedical materials