Degradation Effects on Mechanical Properties of Polyethylene Glycol Diacrylate (PEGDA) and Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) Copolymer Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering.

The merging studies of innovative engineering and cell biology offers promising results for the repair and replacement of human tissues. The field of tissue engineering aims to address critical challenges in the medical field and to further advance research in the biomedical industry. Previous studies have shown engineered tissue scaffolds to degrade over time. Therefore, more research must be conducted on scaffold reliability and breakdown over time, to further understand the limitations of engineered materials inside of the human body. This study examines the degradation effects on the mechanical properties of polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA) and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) copolymer scaffolds submerged in a Phosphate-Buffered Saline (PBS) solution. PBS has been shown to mimic the environment of the human body in previously published studies. The characterization of the copolymer scaffolds was executed by performing Raman Spectroscopy, X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Fourier Transmission Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). Equilibrium Swelling testing was conducted by submerging samples in water over 15 minutes. Compression testing was conducted utilizing a QT 50 Universal Testing Machine at a rate of .75<i> mm</i>/<i>min</i>. The tests performed on the degraded copolymer samples were also conducted on non-degraded copolymer, degraded PEGDA, and non-degraded PEGDA samples. The results of all samples were compared to understand the effects of degradation on the mechanical properties of copolymer scaffolds.