Effect of tourmaline nanoparticles on the anticoagulation and cytotoxicity of poly(l-lactide-co-caprolactone) electrospun fibrous membranes

Tourmaline nanoparticles (TM NPs) were well dispersed in poly(l-lactide-co-caprolactone) (PLCL) fibers via electrospinning without a dispersant. Through the modification of TM NPs, the hydrophilicity and anticoagulant property of the composite electrospun fibrous membranes were improved. Compared with the PLCL membranes, the curve of dynamic clotting time in contact with the composite TM NPs/PLCL membranes descended more slowly. Particularly, the coagulation time of 8 wt% TM NPs/PLCL membrane was longer than 70 min, which was 174% higher than that of the PLCL membrane. At the same time, the cell compatibility and mechanical properties of TM NPs/PLCL membranes were analyzed. The cytotoxicity test showed that the grade of 8 wt% TM NPs/PLCL membrane was 0. The stretching experiments showed that the tensile strength of 8 wt% TM NPs/PLCL membrane (6.71 ± 0.30 MPa) was 267.33% higher than that of the PLCL membrane, and its elongation at break (141.83 ± 5.82%) was higher than the requirement of the coronary artery. These results indicated that the PLCL electrospun fibrous membranes modified with TM NPs have potential to be used in tissue engineering as small-caliber vascular grafts.