Thermally Stable Honeycomb-Patterned Porous Films of a Poly(L-lactic acid) and Poly(D-lactic acid) Stereo Complex Prepared Using the Breath Figure Technique

Porous polymer materials prepared from biodegradable polymers have received considerable attention due to their potential as cell culture scaffolds for tissue engineering. Porous materials are generally sterilized by autoclaving prior to use as cell culture scaffolds to avoid unexpected biological infection. However, the melting point of biodegradable polymers is typically lower than the temperature used in autoclave sterilization. Here, the preparation of honeycomb films comprising a poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) and poly(D-lactic acid) (PDLA) stereo complex is described and their thermal stabilities are evaluated. The hierarchic photochemical patterning of PLLA/PDLA stereo complex honeycomb-patterned films by UV-O₃ treatment is also demonstrated. Porous films of stereo-complexed poly(lactic acid)s sufficiently stabile to withstand autoclave sterilization are successfully prepared by using the breath figure technique. Surface patterning of porous stereo-complexed poly(lactic acid)s are also achieved by UV-O₃ treatment.