Preparation and characterization of cellulose acetate-Laponite® composite membranes produced by supercritical phase inversion

Supercritical phase inversion was used to prepare new polymeric membranes, based on cellulose acetate and Laponite (R), for tissue engineering applications. These composite membranes were characterized by a porous structure (porosity around 85%) with an average pore size ranging from about 9 to 13 mu m depending on the initial weight ratio cellulose acetate/Laponite. This ratio also controlled thermal and mechanical properties of these membranes: Laponite modified membrane decomposition step and increased the membrane elasticity modulus up to 4 MPa while decreasing the percentage elongation at break from 240% to 180%. Laponite also increased material cells adhesion: thanks to its homogeneous inclusion into the membranes, a remarkable cells adhesion of around 80%, six times higher than the original material, was obtained. (C) 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.