In Situ Grown Nanohydroxyapatite Hybridized Graphene Oxide: Enhancing the Strength and Bioactivity of Polymer Scaffolds

Abstract

Graphene oxide (GO) and nanohydroxyapatite (nHA) are usually used for improving the strength and bioactivity of polymer scaffolds. However, due to the nano-aggregation effect, these applications often face the problems of uneven dispersion and poor interface bonding. In this work, their hybrids (GO@nHA) were constructed by combining chemical modification and in situ growth methods, realizing the perfect combination of nHA and GO. First, the functionalization of GO was realized through oxidative self-polymerization of dopamine (DA), and the product was denoted GO@DA. Furthermore, the in situ growth of nHA on GO@DA was induced by hydrothermal reactions to prepare GO@nHA hybrids. Then, the obtained hybrid was added to the polymer matrix, and a composite scaffold was prepared through a selective laser sintering process. The results demonstrated that with the addition of GO@DA and GO@nHA, the ultimate strength was increased to 16.8 and 18.6 MPa, respectively, which is 66 and 84% higher than the 10.1 MPa of the polylactic acid (PLA) scaffold. In addition, composite scaffolds exhibited good biomineralization ability in vitro and also promoted the adhesion and proliferation of MG63 cells.

Embedding Function within Additively Manufactured Parts: Materials Challenges and Opportunities

“…One approach consists of producing composite pellets prior to printing by SLS. This method has been demonstrated, for example, by Li et al [ 15 ] who synthetized in situ grown nanohydroxyapatite hybridized graphene oxide and added it to an ethanol solution of a 1:1 mixture of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and polycaprolactone (PCL). Then the dispersion was treated by centrifugal washing and vacuum drying to obtain a composite powder.…”

“…Ultimately, the composite scaffolds printed by SLS exhibited increased strength and bioactivity as compared to neat PLA scaffolds. [ 15 ] Instead of being homogenously dispersed in the polymer matrix, the filler particles can be coated with a polymer film. Zhu et al [ 16 ] successfully prepared polyamide 12 (PA12)‐coated carbon fibers having this core–shell structure by a dissolution–precipitation method.…”

In-Situ Grown Nanohydroxyapatite on Graphene Oxide Nanoscrolls for Modulated Physicochemical Properties of Poly (Caprolactone) Composites

“…PCL-nHA scaffolds are also considered affordable due to their low production costs and effective, scalable manufacturing methods [15]. Nevertheless, the mechanical properties of nHA, such as its stiffness and brittleness, have hindered its widespread use [16]. In addition to mechanical stability, a series of pressing challenges persistently demand resolution, explicitly about dispersion efficacy and interface compatibility [16].…”

Crosslinking of a polycaprolactone/tourmaline scaffold by sodium stearate with improved mechanical strength and bioactivity

“…The demand for bone implants is increasing due to the frequent occurrence of bone defects, while autologous or allogeneic bone graing is constrained by limited sources or immune rejection, respectively. 1 In contrast, articial bone is attracting attention because it has a wide range of material sources and can obtain biological, mechanical, and degradation properties comparable to natural bone by modulating components. 2,3 Polycaprolactone (PCL) has been of great interest in bone tissue engineering due to its good biocompatibility, degradability, and processability.…”