Abstract
Collagen and apatite are the main constituents regulating the mechanical properties of bone. Hence, an improved understanding of the impact of mineralization on these properties is of large interest for the scientific community. This paper presents systematic studies of synthetic collagen microfibers with increasing apatite content and their response to tensile stress by using a novel self-made electromechanical device combined with a Raman spectrometer for molecular level studies. The impact of apatite on the mechanical and molecular response of collagen is evaluated giving important insights into the interaction between the mineral and organic phases. Therefore our findings expand the fundamental understanding of the mechanics of the apatite/collagen system relevant for the design of bio-composites with similar bio-mimicking properties for e.g. bone regrowth in medical applications.
Highlights
Our research is driven by the interest in novel collagen/apatite composites as potential templates for implant overgrowth by bone [7] motivating our focus on collagen-based micro-fibers
We observed that the addition of apatite crystals in the collagen matrix significantly changes the mechanical response of the microfibers
A novel custom-built electromechanical device combined with in situ Raman microscopy was used to study the molecular response of collagen micro-fibers with different amounts of apatite mineralization under tensile stress
Summary
Apatite micro-fibers for biomedical applications, e.g. as growth templates for bone formation [1,2] This is crucial for the controlled realization of composites with desired mechanical properties and optimized fracture toughness and Young’s modulus. AFM on its own does not provide information on the molecular response to stress These restrictions motivate our approach to design a dedicated stage for Raman-microscopy enabling the investigation of micro-fibers with bespoke glass micro-needles to apply calibrated forces in the mN range required for material systems such as mineralized collagen. Our research is driven by the interest in novel collagen/apatite composites as potential templates for implant overgrowth by bone [7] motivating our focus on collagen-based micro-fibers
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