Design, fabrication, and evaluation of hybrid polycaprolactone/graphene scaffold based on additive manufacturing and electrospinning
Design, fabrication, and evaluation of hybrid polycaprolactone/graphene scaffold based on additive manufacturing and electrospinning
Electrospinning and additive manufacturing (AM) are key technologies for fabricating bone tissue engineering scaffolds, each with unique strengths and limitations. Electrospinning produces nanoscale fibers that promote cell attachment and affinity on 2D surfaces but offer limited mechanical strength. In contrast, AM creates 3D scaffolds with enhanced mechanical properties through precise control of topological structures, but the capability to stimulate and guide cell growth is limited compared to electrospun nanoscale fibers. Combining both methods holds potential for next-generation scaffold development with desirable mechanical and biological properties. This study investigates the fabrication of multi-scale and multi-material scaffolds by integrating extrusion-based AM and solution electrospinning. Polycaprolactone (PCL), a biocompatible and biodegradable polymer, served as the base material, while graphene nanosheets were incorporated as functional fillers to enhance mechanical, electrical, surface, and biological properties. Solution electrospinning was first optimized, and hybrid scaffolds were fabricated, with an image-based optimization method, obtaining 87% of the fibres well-aligned with the designed direction. Optimal scaffold composition (PCL nanofibers with 1 wt.% graphene + PCL microfibers with 3 wt.% graphene) was also identified based on 2D mesh characterization results (186% enhancement of the mechanical property and 23% enhancement of the cell proliferation result, compared with neat PCL). The findings demonstrate the potential of this hybrid fabrication approach for developing advanced polymer-carbon nanomaterial scaffolds for bone tissue regeneration applications.
additive manufacturing, bone tissue engineering, electrospinning, graphene, polycaprolactone, scaffold
Ucan, M. Tugrul
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Meng, Duo
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Aslan, Enes
39c131dd-3968-4829-b8e3-c2d6b759db36
Caetano, Guilherme F.
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Hou, Yanhao
fb285a4f-8235-429a-9095-31468811802a
Wang, Weiguang
0cc699c0-e7b3-49d0-8c84-1e9d63f747d8
14 November 2025
Ucan, M. Tugrul
abf01de7-66da-4d8c-bcef-700beb0fb780
Meng, Duo
6753f37f-a536-41f3-bc0f-878c8be30439
Aslan, Enes
39c131dd-3968-4829-b8e3-c2d6b759db36
Caetano, Guilherme F.
4cc8f5d5-7ab5-4e61-bcf9-80b7c75d9448
Hou, Yanhao
fb285a4f-8235-429a-9095-31468811802a
Wang, Weiguang
0cc699c0-e7b3-49d0-8c84-1e9d63f747d8
Ucan, M. Tugrul, Meng, Duo, Aslan, Enes, Caetano, Guilherme F., Hou, Yanhao and Wang, Weiguang
(2025)
Design, fabrication, and evaluation of hybrid polycaprolactone/graphene scaffold based on additive manufacturing and electrospinning.
Macromolecular Materials and Engineering, 310 (11), [e00236].
(doi:10.1002/mame.202500236).
Abstract
Electrospinning and additive manufacturing (AM) are key technologies for fabricating bone tissue engineering scaffolds, each with unique strengths and limitations. Electrospinning produces nanoscale fibers that promote cell attachment and affinity on 2D surfaces but offer limited mechanical strength. In contrast, AM creates 3D scaffolds with enhanced mechanical properties through precise control of topological structures, but the capability to stimulate and guide cell growth is limited compared to electrospun nanoscale fibers. Combining both methods holds potential for next-generation scaffold development with desirable mechanical and biological properties. This study investigates the fabrication of multi-scale and multi-material scaffolds by integrating extrusion-based AM and solution electrospinning. Polycaprolactone (PCL), a biocompatible and biodegradable polymer, served as the base material, while graphene nanosheets were incorporated as functional fillers to enhance mechanical, electrical, surface, and biological properties. Solution electrospinning was first optimized, and hybrid scaffolds were fabricated, with an image-based optimization method, obtaining 87% of the fibres well-aligned with the designed direction. Optimal scaffold composition (PCL nanofibers with 1 wt.% graphene + PCL microfibers with 3 wt.% graphene) was also identified based on 2D mesh characterization results (186% enhancement of the mechanical property and 23% enhancement of the cell proliferation result, compared with neat PCL). The findings demonstrate the potential of this hybrid fabrication approach for developing advanced polymer-carbon nanomaterial scaffolds for bone tissue regeneration applications.
Text
Macro Materials Eng - 2025 - Ucan - Design Fabrication and Evaluation of Hybrid Polycaprolactone Graphene Scaffold
- Version of Record
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e-pub ahead of print date: 25 July 2025
Published date: 14 November 2025
Keywords:
additive manufacturing, bone tissue engineering, electrospinning, graphene, polycaprolactone, scaffold
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 508526
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/508526
ISSN: 1438-7492
PURE UUID: 78c06909-deb3-47b2-9062-849fa03ce404
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Date deposited: 26 Jan 2026 17:39
Last modified: 27 Jan 2026 03:41
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Contributors
Author:
M. Tugrul Ucan
Author:
Duo Meng
Author:
Enes Aslan
Author:
Guilherme F. Caetano
Author:
Yanhao Hou
Author:
Weiguang Wang
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