Synthesis and Characterization of Bio-Based Polyurethane for Tissue Engineering Applications

Tissue Engineering offers a new route for the reconstruction of new organs and tissues that have suffered trauma or injury. With this respect, the production of tridimensional scaffolds to allow cells to attach, migrate and proliferate is the base of Tissue Engineering. In this study, a polyurethane scaffold was synthesized in a batch reactor by the reaction of bio-based polyol extracted from Euterpe oleracea Mart. seeds (açaí berry), a renewable raw material present in Amazon Region of Brazil, and a polyisocyanate derived from hexamethylene diisocyanate. The chemical structure of the scaffold was characterized by using proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, the distribution of average porosity and pore size was characterized by X- ray microtomography, the thermal properties were determined by thermogravimetric analysis and the biocompatibility was studied by in vitro assays. The results showed that the scaffold presents excellent morphological, chemical and thermal properties, with an appropriate porosity for cell attachment, cell growth proliferation, it also shows no inflammatory response, a good biocompatibility making it applicable as a new biomaterial for future applications in Tissue Engineering.