Tuning polylactic acid scaffolds for tissue engineering purposes by incorporating graphene oxide-chitosan nano-hybrids

The main goal of this study was to take an effective approach to promote polylactic acid (PLA) bio-applications. In this regard, graphene oxide (GO) and spherical structure of GO-chitosan nano-hybrids (GO-CS) were successfully synthesized and characterized using transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared, UV-Vis, and elemental analyses. Thereafter, PLA scaffolds containing 1 wt% and 2 wt% of synthesized nanomaterials were fabricated through the solvent casting/particulate leaching procedure. Then, the biodegradability, cell adhesion, and bio-safety properties of the prepared scaffolds were investigated. The results of bio-degradation analyses demonstrated that the used nanomaterials prevented PLA from rapid and excessive degradation. The cell viability and contact angle results revealed that the surface hydrophilicity of PLA scaffolds was noticeably enhanced using both GO and GO-CS nanoparticles. Although scaffolds containing GO represented a more hydrophilic surface, their cell viability reduced as a consequence of GO cytotoxicity. It was also revealed that incorporation of GO-CS nano-hybrids into PLA scaffold tuned the cell viability through facilitating cell adhesion, growth, and proliferation processes.