Molecules, Vol. 23, Pages 2651: Synthesis and Application of Scaffolds of Chitosan-Graphene Oxide by the Freeze-Drying Method for Tissue Regeneration

Molecules, Vol. 23, Pages 2651: Synthesis and Application of Scaffolds of Chitosan-Graphene Oxide by the Freeze-Drying Method for Tissue Regeneration Molecules doi: 10.3390/molecules23102651 Authors: Cesar Valencia Carlos H. Valencia Fabio Zuluaga Mayra E. Valencia José H. Mina Carlos David Grande-Tovar Several biomaterials, including natural polymers, are used to increase cellular interactions as an effective way to treat bone injuries. Chitosan (CS) is one of the most studied biocompatible natural polymers. Graphene oxide (GO) is a carbon-based nanomaterial capable of imparting desired properties to the scaffolds. In the present study, CS and GO were used for scaffold preparation. CS was extracted from the mycelium of the fungus Aspergillus niger. On the other hand, GO was synthesized using an improved Hummers-Offemann method and was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and dynamic light scattering (DLS). Subsequently, three formulations (GO 0%, 0.5%, and 1%) were used to prepare the scaffolds by the freeze-drying technique. The scaffolds were characterized by FTIR, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), to determine their thermal stability and pore size, demonstrating that their stability increased with the increase of GO amount. Finally, the scaffolds were implanted, recollected 30 days later, and studied with an opt...
Source: Molecules - Category: Chemistry Authors: Tags: Article Source Type: research