TY - JOUR
T1 - Aligned multi-walled carbon nanotubes with nanohydroxyapatite in a 3D printed polycaprolactone scaffold stimulates osteogenic differentiation
AU - Huang, Boyang
AU - Vyas, Cian
AU - Byun, Jae Jong
AU - El-Newehy, Mohamed
AU - Huang, Zhucheng
AU - Da Silva Bartolo, Paulo Jorge
PY - 2020/3/1
Y1 - 2020/3/1
N2 - The development of highly biomimetic scaffolds in terms of composition and structures, to repair or replace damaged bone tissues, is particularly relevant for tissue engineering. This paper investigates a 3D printed porous scaffold containing aligned multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and nano-hydroxyapatite (nHA), mi- micking the natural bone tissue from the nanoscale to macroscale level. MWCNTs with similar dimensions as collagen fibres are coupled with nHA and mixed within a polycaprolactone (PCL) matrix to produce scaffolds using a screw-assisted extrusion-based additive manufacturing system. Scaffolds with different material com- positions were extensively characterised from morphological, mechanical and biological points of views. Transmission electron microscopy and polarised Raman spectroscopy confirm the presence of aligned MWCNTs within the printed filaments. The PCL/HA/MWCNTs scaffold are similar to the nanostructure of native bone and shows overall increased mechanical properties, cell proliferation, osteogenic differentiation and scaffold mi- neralisation, indicating a promising approach for bone tissue regeneration.
AB - The development of highly biomimetic scaffolds in terms of composition and structures, to repair or replace damaged bone tissues, is particularly relevant for tissue engineering. This paper investigates a 3D printed porous scaffold containing aligned multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and nano-hydroxyapatite (nHA), mi- micking the natural bone tissue from the nanoscale to macroscale level. MWCNTs with similar dimensions as collagen fibres are coupled with nHA and mixed within a polycaprolactone (PCL) matrix to produce scaffolds using a screw-assisted extrusion-based additive manufacturing system. Scaffolds with different material com- positions were extensively characterised from morphological, mechanical and biological points of views. Transmission electron microscopy and polarised Raman spectroscopy confirm the presence of aligned MWCNTs within the printed filaments. The PCL/HA/MWCNTs scaffold are similar to the nanostructure of native bone and shows overall increased mechanical properties, cell proliferation, osteogenic differentiation and scaffold mi- neralisation, indicating a promising approach for bone tissue regeneration.
KW - Additive Manufacturing
KW - Bone Scaffolds
KW - Hierarchical structures
KW - Hydroxyapatite
KW - Multi-walled carbon nanotubes
U2 - 10.1016/j.msec.2019.110374
DO - 10.1016/j.msec.2019.110374
M3 - Article
SN - 0928-4931
VL - 108
JO - Materials Science and Engineering C
JF - Materials Science and Engineering C
M1 - 110374
ER -