Thermal property and assessment of biocompatibility of poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid/graphene nanocomposites

Abstract

Articles you may be interested inPreparation of graphene oxide/epoxy nanocomposites with significantly improved mechanical properties Enhanced dielectric properties of BaTiO3/poly(vinylidene fluoride) nanocomposites for energy storage applications J. Appl. Phys. 113, 034105 (2013); 10.1063/1.4776740 Influence of Cr2O3 nanoparticles on the physical properties of polyvinyl alcohol J. Appl. Phys. 112, 093525 (2012); 10.1063/1.4764864Modeling of hyaluronic acid containing anti-cancer drugs-loaded polylactic-co-glycolic acid bioconjugates for targeted delivery to cancer cells AIP Conf.Polymer-matrix nanocomposites based on Poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) and Graphene platelets (GNPs) were studied. GNPs, nanomaterials with a 2D flat surface, were chosen with or without chemical modification in PLGA/GNP nanocomposites and their microstructure, thermal property, and their compatibility as scaffolds for cell growth were investigated. PLGA/GNP nanocomposites (0, 1, and 5 wt. % of GNPs) were prepared using a solution based technique. Transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Differential scanning calorimeter, and Thermogravimetric analyzer were used to analyze morphology and thermal properties. This work demonstrated the role of GNPs flat surface to provide a favorable platform resulting in an enhanced PLGA crystallization. Functionalized GNPs suppress both the thermal stability and the crystallization of PLGA. Finally, to determine the potential usefulness of these scaffolds for biomedical applications, mammalian cells were cultured on various PLGA/GNP nanocomposites (0, 1, and 5 wt. % GNPs). 1 wt. % PLGA/GNP nanocomposites showed better biocompatibility for cell growth with/without graphenes functionalization compared to pure PLGA and 5 wt. % PLGA/GNP. The function of GNPs in PLGA/GNPs (1 wt. %) composites is to provide a stage for PLGA crystallization where cell growth is favored. These results provide strong evidence for a new class of materials that could be important for biomedical applications. V C 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.

Effect of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles addition on structure properties of poly(l‐lactide‐co‐glycolide) After gamma sterilization

“…). This fact can be explained by heteronucleation occurring on nanoparticles of a ceramic filler . Figure shows that no changes in the polymer structure appeared between T g and ca.…”

“…In order to increase the biocompatibility and the mechanical properties of scaffolds for a specific medical application, PLGA has been combined with phosphate ceramic materials, such as hydroxyapatite or calcium triphosphate nanoparticles . The structure of PLGA is directly dependent on the percentage of each co‐monomer . Both lactide and glycolide have semi‐crystalline structure .…”

“…However, copolymerization of them interferes with the crystallization and material of an amorphous structure is formed as a result of this process . Moreover, the PLGA structure is highly unstable and the amount of a crystalline phase changes if the thermal conditions are modified or an inorganic nanofiller is added to the polymer bulk . PLGA is also a hydrolytically unstable polymer, the degradation of which begins from ester bonds .…”

“…To date, the impact of gamma radiation and other methods of sterilization on the structure and properties of PLGA has been extensively studied . For example, Shahabi et al focused on the impact of different doses of gamma radiation on PLGA‐PEG/hydroxyapatite composite.…”

A Study of Surface Modification of Poly(lactic-co-glycolic) Acid Using Argon Ion Irradiation

“…Tailoring surface energy of PLGA is thus an important step to bring this polymer into biomedicine. Different promising approaches have been adopted to modify surface microstructure of polymer such as mixing with nanofillers [8], biochemical coating [9] or physio-chemical treatment of the surfaces [10]- [13]. Adhikari et al [8] have utilized the graphene platelets as a stage for polymer crystallization which was shown effective to grow human embryonic kidney cells compared to unmodified polymer.…”