Preparation and cytological study of collagen/nano-hydroxyapatite/graphene oxide composites

PURPOSE: Biomimetic mineralized composite scaffolds are widely used as natural bone substitute materials in tissue engineering by inducing and assembling bonelike apatite. In this study, the single lamellar structure of graphene oxide (GO) powder was prepared via an improved Hummers' method. METHODS: To better mimic natural bone, the collagen (COL)/Nano-hydroxyapatite (nHA)/graphene oxide (GO) composite material was prepared by simulated body fluid (SBF) method using COL/GO as a matrix template. Hydroxyapatite (HA) with calcium ion deficiency was achieved via biomimetic mineralization, and it had properties closer to those of natural bone than pure HA has. RESULTS: The mineralized COL/nHA/GO composites exhibited loose porous structures, and the connectivity of the holes was good and thus beneficial to the exchange of nutrients and excreted metabolites. Conculsions: Antibacterial and MTT experiment confirmed that the COL/nHA/GO composite material had excellent antibacterial property and biocompatibility. Hence, these results strongly suggested the mineralized COL/nHA/GO composite is a good candidate biomaterial to be applied in bone tissue engineering.