As skin defects cannot regenerate by themselves, tissue engineering through tissue-mimicking
scaffolds holds promise for treating such defects. In this
study, cellulose acetate (CA)-based three-dimensional
scaffolds were produced using the wet-electrospinning
technique, and the influence of concentrations on the
properties of the wet-electrospun scaffolds was investigated for the first time. CA with concentrations of 4, 5,
6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12 and 14 % (w/v) were dissolved in
acetone to fabricate the scaffolds. Wet electrospinning
was carried out under an applied voltage of 15 kV and a
tip-to-bath distance of 10 cm into the aqueous solution
of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) (pH ~13) as a coagulation
bath. The specimens with concentrations of 4–7 % (w/v)
just produced droplets. The concentration of 8 % (w/v)
produced beaded fibers, and the fibers of 9, 10, 12 and
14 % (w/v) were almost oriented in a random, dispersive
manner and formed a non-woven structure morphology
under scanning electron microscope (SEM) observation. The porosity measurement via the liquid
displacement method showed that all scaffolds could
not meet the accepted ideal porosity percentage of above
80 %, and the highest recorded porosity percentage was
69.5 % for the 12 % (w/v) scaffold. The contact angle
measurement data displayed the high hydrophobicity of
all scaffolds, which was expected because of the
hydrophobic nature of CA. In vitro L929 mouse
fibroblast cell culture demonstrated that all scaffolds
presented a non-toxic environment and enhanced cell
proliferation and attachment.
