title: Graphene and hydroxyapatite self-assemble into homogeneous, free standing nanocomposite hydrogels for bone tissue engineering.
abstract: Graphene-nanoparticle (NP) composites have shown potential in applications ranging from batteries to, more recently, tissue engineering. Graphene and NPs should be integrated into uniform free-standing structures for best results. However, to date, this has been achieved only in few examples; in most cases, graphene/NP powders lacking three-dimensional (3D) structure were produced. Here we report a facile and universal method that can be used to synthesize such structures based on colloidal chemistry. We start from aqueous suspensions of both graphene oxide nanosheets and citrate-stabilized hydroxyapatite (HA) NPs. Hydrothermal treatment of the mixtures of both suspensions reduces graphene oxide to graphene, and entraps colloidal HA NPs into the 3D graphene network thanks to a self-assembled graphite-like shell formed around it. Dialysis through this shell causes uniform NP deposition onto the graphene walls. The resulting graphene-HA gels are highly porous, strong, electrically conductive and biocompatible, making them promising scaffolds for bone tissue engineering. This method can be applied to produce a variety of free-standing 3D graphene-based nanocomposites with unprecedented homogeneity.
authors: College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610065, China.
authors: Xingyi
authors: X
authors: Xie
authors: Kaiwen
authors: K
authors: Hu
authors: Dongdong
authors: D
authors: Fang
authors: Lihong
authors: L
authors: Shang
authors: Simon D
authors: SD
authors: Tran
authors: Marta
authors: M
authors: Cerruti
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003102:Colloids / Q000737:chemistry*; D017886:Durapatite / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D006108:Graphite / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D020100:Hydrogels / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D053761:Nanocomposites / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000633:toxicity; D016062:Porosity; D023822:Tissue Engineering; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D003102:Colloids; D020100:Hydrogels; D006108:Graphite; D017886:Durapatite