Microcarriers with Controllable Size via Electrified Liquid Jets and Phase Separation Technique Promote Cell Proliferation and Osteogenic Differentiation

Differently sized poly(lactic-co-glycolic) microspheres were efficiently prepared with electrified liquid jets and a phase separation technique for a wide range of applications. Higher polymer concentrations tended to form larger microcarriers. Polymer concentration can obviously affect bead or fiber formation resulting beads and fiber morphologies. As the voltage of electrostatic field and the needle size increased, the size of microcarriers decreased remarkably. The most suitable concentration of ethanol in the collecting solution might be lower than 55%. The resulting composite microcarriers have significantly narrow size distribution, controllable sizes, and high cell adhesion, growth, and osteodifferentiation abilities.