Wang, Haoyu; (2025) Wet-electrospun innovation for manufacturing scaffolds for musculoskeletal tissue engineering. Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).

Text Haoyu-PhD Thesis.pdf - Accepted Version Access restricted to UCL open access staff until 1 May 2026. Download (10MB)

Abstract

Electrospinning is a well-established technique for manufacturing extracellular matrix-mimicking scaffolds for musculoskeletal tissue engineering. However, in conventional electrospinning, a densely packed mechanical locking structure often forms because as-spun fibres contain residual solvents that fuse and physically bind with surrounding fibres during deposition, resulting in limited cell infiltration. Wet-electrospinning, a modified technique where as-spun electrospun fibres are deposited into a liquid bath, allows the deposited fibres to remain movable, enabling secondary collection or processing. Based on this, many studies have explored its application in 3D scaffold manufacturing. However, the current literature shows limited investigation into adjusting the physical properties or microstructure of scaffolds, which was improved in this doctoral thesis through setup innovations. Firstly, this thesis introduced an auxiliary electrode into wet-electrospinning, revealing that a properly controlled electrostatic field can provide electrostatic forces that overcome gravitational forces to reduce stress concentration during wet-electrospun fibre collection. This enables high-speed collection, which could change the crystal configuration within the fibres and, therefore, adjust stiffness and modulate cell morphology. Secondly, the challenge of 3D scaffold assembly instability in dynamic liquid baths was addressed by introducing a floating polystyrene ball in a vortex-based dynamic liquid bath. The ball entangled with the rearranged, loosened yarn, enabling the assembly of a 3D porous scaffold, which was further conjugated with gelatin to improve cell behaviour. This scaffold exhibited full-thickness infiltration, achieving a 3D culture. Lastly, a novel gelatin/PCL coaxial electrospinning formula was developed for liposome encapsulation while maintaining its structural integrity. A liposome-loaded trilayer scaffold with designed functionality was also created, in which the middle layer used wet-electrospinning to improve the strength. These innovations are expected to benefit musculoskeletal tissue engineering by manufacturing scaffolds that mimic natural tissue and modulate cell behaviour in future applications.

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