Enhanced three-dimensional printing scaffold for osteogenesis using a mussel-inspired graphene oxide coating

Abstract

For further advance a functionality of three-dimensional (3D) printing techniques using biopolymers, graphene oxide (GO) as a carbon-based nanomaterial has received much attention recently due to its superior properties. However, the ability to synergistically affect the resulting 3D-printed structures has been limited by difficulty controlling the nanomaterial ratio in which biological stability is achieved, as well as by the use of noxious solvents applied to the nanomaterials during scaffold fabrication. To address these issues, we demonstrate the use of an ecofriendly mussel-inspired GO coating for 3D-printed scaffolds to enhance the scaffold’s functionality and bioactivity. We used polydopamine for deposition using 1, 3, and 6 mg/mL GO in solution on the surface of the scaffold. By this coating method, we efficiently regulated the degree of GO deposition on the surface of scaffold strands under non-toxic conditions, which revealed by microscope. Furthermore, the surface roughness, hydrophilicity, and functional groups were increased after GO coating process. Especially, we identified that the GO coated scaffold was shown improved properties for promoting osteogenesis compared to a bare scaffold by in vitro analyses. Therefore, we suggest that the GO coated scaffold has the potential as a bone substitute for tissue engineering.