A two-step method using air plasma and carbodiimide crosslinking to enhance the biocompatibility of polycaprolactone.

In this study, polycaprolactone (PCL) film, a high potential material used in biomedical applications, was treated by air plasma prior to a conjugation by carbodiimide cross-linking with various types of proteins, including type A gelatin, type B gelatin, and collagen hydrolysate. The properties of modified PCL films were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), contact angle measurement, and atomic force microscopy. The XPS results showed that oxygen and nitrogen atoms were successfully introduced on the air plasma-treated PCL surface.