title: Fabrication, mechanical properties, and biocompatibility of graphene-reinforced chitosan composites.
abstract: Few-layered graphene sheets, synthesized by direct current arc-discharge method using NH(3) as one of the buffer gases, were dispersed in chitosan/acetic acid solutions. FTIR and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed the presence of oxygen-containing functional groups on the surface of graphene sheets that may assist the good dispersion of graphene in chitosan solution. Graphene/chitosan films were produced by solution casting method. The mechanical properties of composite films were tested by nanoindentation method. With the addition of a small amount of graphene in chitosan (0.1-0.3 wt %), the elastic modulus of chitosan increased over ∼ 200%. The biocompatibility of graphene/chitosan composite films was checked by tetrazolium-based colorimetric assays in vitro. The cell adhesion result showed that the L929 cell can adhere to and develop on the graphene/chitosan composite films as well as on pure chitosan film, indicating that graphene/chitosan composites have good biocompatibility. Because there is no metallic impurity in graphene raw materials, the time-consuming purification process for removing metal nanoparticles entrapped in carbon nanotubes is thus avoided when graphene is used to prepare biomedical materials. Graphene/chitosan composites are potential candidates as scaffold materials in tissue engineering.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Hailong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Lili
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Keke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Nan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Zujin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Zigang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ge
authors.forename: Zhaoxia
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Jin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D048271:Chitosan / Q000737:chemistry*; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000187:drug effects; D006108:Graphite / Q000737:chemistry*; D008422:Materials Testing; D051379:Mice; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D011108:Polymers; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D013499:Surface Properties; D013718:Tensile Strength; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D011108:Polymers; D006108:Graphite; D048271:Chitosan