Highly conductive multiscale fibre-engineered biomedical patch prepared by electrospinning substrate and in-situ polymerization

Myocardial infarction (MI) is one of the major diseases that threaten human life and health. The construction of cardiac patch by tissue engineering method and biomaterials is a promising way to treat MI clinically by improving electromechanical signal transduction in MI area. A highly conductive electrospun fibre-engineered biomedical patch with porous structure, mechanical support and conductive property was prepared by poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA), polyaniline (PANI), graphene oxide (GO) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT). PLGA, PLGA/MWCNT, PLGA/GO electrospinning fibre membrane substrates were prepared first and then in-situ polymerization of aniline (ANI) to form PANI/PLGA and PANI/PLGA/MWCNT fibre conductive patches. PLGA-blended fibre patch had a smooth fibre surface and an uniform fibre diameter, porous structure, fibre parallel arrangement, in which PLGA/MWCNT had larger ultimate strength and Young’s modulus. When the ANI concentration was 0.4 mol l⁻¹, electrical conductivity reached the maximum value, and the electrical conductivity of PANI/PLGA fibre patch was significantly larger than that of PANI/PLGA/MWCNT fibre patch as the ANI concentration increased, which were 1.56 × 10⁻² and 6.06 × 10⁻³ S cm⁻¹, respectively. Highly conductive fibre membrane-engineered biomedical patch had excellent electrical and thermal stability, and improved signal transduction, with porous structure and mechanical support for potential MI repair.