Characterization of bulk properties of nanofibrous scaffolds from nanomechanical properties of single nanofibers

Abstract

This article presents a method of characterizing the macromechanical properties of polymer nanofibrous scaffolds based on the nanomechanical properties obtained for a single nanofiber. Here, we use the example of a poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) nanofibrous scaffold that can be used for tissue engineering application. The elastic modulus of a single nanofiber obtained previously from a nanoscale three-point bend test performed using atomic force microscopy was used to model the elastic modulus and elastic collapse stress of the bulk scaffold. Various open-cell solid models are examined for the modeling of bulk scaffold behavior. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.