This paper provides a comprehensive overview of nanofibrous structures for tissue engineering purposes and the role of non-thermal plasma technology (NTP) within this field. Special attention is first given to nanofiber fabrication strategies, including thermally-induced phase separation, molecular self-assembly, and electrospinning, highlighting their strengths, weaknesses, and potentials. The review then continues to discuss the biodegradable polyesters typically employed for nanofiber fabrication, while the primary focus lies on their applicability and limitations. From thereon, the reader is introduced to the concept of NTP and its application in plasma-assisted surface modification of nanofibrous scaffolds. The final part of the review discusses the available literature on NTP-modified nanofibers looking at the impact of plasma activation and polymerization treatments on nanofiber wettability, surface chemistry, cell adhesion/proliferation and protein grafting. As such, this review provides a complete introduction into NTP-modified nanofibers, while aiming to address the current unexplored potentials left within the field.

In this work, cyclopropylamine (CPA) monomer was plasma-polymerized on poly (ε-caprolactone) nanofiber meshes using various deposition durations to obtain amine-rich surfaces in an effort to improve the cellular response of the meshes. Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to investigate the surface morphology and surface chemical composition of the PCL samples, respectively. The measured coating thickness was found to linearly increase with deposition duration at a deposition rate of 0.465 nm/s. XPS analysis revealed that plasma exposure time had a considerable effect on the surface N/C and O/C ratio as well as on amino grafting efficiency and amino selectivity. In addition, cell studies showed that cell adhesion and proliferation significantly improved for all coated samples.