Abstract
Reduced graphene oxide (rGO) is one of the graphene derivatives that can be employed to engineer bioactive and/or electroactive scaffolds. However, the influence of its low and especially high concentrations on scaffolds’ overall properties and cytotoxicity has yet to be explored. In this study, polyethylene oxide (PEO)-based scaffolds containing from 0.1 to 20 wt% rGO were obtained by electrospinning. Morphological, thermal and electrical properties of the scaffolds were characterized by SEM, Raman spectroscopy, XRD, DSC and electrical measurements. The diameter of the fibers decreased from 0.52 to 0.19 µm as the concentration of rGO increased from 0.1 wt% to 20 wt%. The presence of rGO above the percolation threshold (5.7 wt%) resulted in a significantly reduced electrical resistivity of the scaffolds. XRD and Raman analysis revealed delamination of the graphene layers (interlayer spacing increased from 0.36 nm to 0.40–0.41 nm), and exfoliation of rGO was detected for the samples with an rGO concentration lower than 1 wt%. In addition, an evident trend of increasing cell viability as a function of the rGO concentration was evidenced. The obtained results can serve as further guidance for the judicious selection of the rGO content incorporated into the PEO matrix for constructing electroactive scaffolds.
Highlights
Seven scaffolds based on polyethylene oxide (PEO) with different concentrations of Reduced graphene oxide (rGO): 0, 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, 5.0, 10.0 and 20.0 wt%, were successfully fabricated by electrospinning
The addition of rGO caused an increase in the average fiber diameters, which was apparent for the sample containing the lowest amount of rGO (0.1 wt%), having an average fiber diameter of 0.52 ± 0.28 μm
The effect of the concentration of rGO in PEO fibers was evaluated in terms of morphology and structural changes, as well as electrical properties and cytotoxicity
Summary
Tissue engineering aims to repair, replace and regenerate damaged tissues It vastly relies on the use of biodegradable scaffolds, which play a key but temporary role. They mimic the extracellular matrix (ECM) by encouraging cell adhesion and interactions, and facilitating nutrient and waste diffusion, but they simultaneously degrade and are gradually replaced by new tissue [1]. One of the most promising techniques for fibrous structure fabrication is electrospinning [2–9]. Its setup is very simple (consisting of a high-voltage power supply, a syringe pump and a grounded collector) and can be implemented on a lab scale, and in large-scale production Both synthetic (such as polyglycolides [13], polylactides [14], polycaprolactone [13,15] and polyurethane [16–19])
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