ISSN 1017-2548(Print)
ISSN 2234-8530(Online)
Volume 50, Number 3
JKCSEZ 50(3)
June 20, 2006 

Cross-linking agents used for enhancing mechanical properties of porous natural scaffolds, reduces biocompatability of the scaffolds, due to their inherent cytotoxicity. In this study, scaffolds which was composed of chitosan, alginate and gelatin were cross-linked by using heat treatment instead of cross-linking agent and mechanical properties of the cross-linked scaffold were investigated. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) analysis confirmed that cross-linking of heat-treated scaffold was formed via amide or ester linkage between the polymer chains. The heat-treated scaffold had interconnected pores with mean diameter of 100~200 μm and showed more than two fold increase of water uptake in comparison with chemically cross-linked scaffold. Tensile strength of the heat-treated scaffold increased up to 130% compared to non cross-linked scaffold and average maximum elongation was 11.3%. The porous cross-linked scaffold with the improved mechanical property may be suitable as a biocompatable scaffold for tissue engineering.