Graphene family nanomaterials- opportunities and challenges in tissue engineering applications

Abstract

Since the revolutionary discovery of the graphene in 2004, graphene and its chemical derivatives have been emerged as a new class of novel nanomaterials for their exceptional physical, chemical and biological properties. More specifically, owning to its excellent mechanical properties, thermal properties, electrical conductivity, large surface area and biocompatibility, it has gained enormous attention of scientific community for variety of applications. In this context, two-dimensional (2D) graphene materials have been extensively used in biomedical applications ranging from bioelectronics, biosensing, drug/gene delivery, bioimaging, photodynamic/photothermal therapy to tissue engineering applications. In this review, we have summarized recent advances of graphene-based materials for tissue engineering applications. In details, we systematically discuss the recent advancement of graphene-based materials in bone tissue, neural, cardiac, skin and cartilage tissue engineering. Additionally, we have provided a brief summary on the properties of it, which are essential for tissue engineering applications. Cytocompatibility & biocompatibility, and potential risk factors of graphene nanomaterials have discussed in the lights of their biomedical applications. In the concluding part, a brief outlook on the future opportunities of graphene-based materials for end use clinical tissue engineering applications is also presented.