Materialistic characterization, thermal properties, and cytocompatibility investigations on acrylic acid-functionalized nSiO2-reinforced PEEK polymeric nanocomposite

Abstract

Polyether Ether Ketone (PEEK) is a biocompatible alternative to metallic biomaterials because of its unique properties such as relatively low elastic modulus, high mechanical strength, and biocompatibility. A signi cant issue is that its bioinert feature might lead to implant failure due to poor osseointegration.Therefore, this research aims to develop the nSiO 2 ceramic particles reinforced PEEK (nSiO 2 @PEEK) polymer nanocomposite. The particle size of nanoparticles was measured as 43.6 nm using particle size analyzer (PSA). The fabrication was done by the vertical injection moulding process. The morphology of fabricated composite was analyzed using FESEM. The EDAX and elemental mapping revealed the presence of Si, C, and O elements in nSiO 2 @PEEK. The structural characteristic of nSiO 2 @PEEK nanocomposite was investigated using XRD and FTIR. Thermal stability and melting behavior were examined using TGA thermograms and DSC curves. Minimum toxic level (Grade: slight, 1-20%) was observed by in-vitro cytotoxicity assessment using direct and indirect methods. The excellent cell viability was found as 83.6% through MTT assay. The MG-63 cell-adhesion study was conducted subsequently excellent cell growth and cell-morphology were monitored using SEM analysis. Thereby, the developed nanocomposite was found to be good biocompatible properties through this research. Thus it can be suitable as promising biomaterial for medical implant applications.