Mechanical and structural characterization of diopside scaffolds reinforced with graphene

Abstract

Diopside (Di) is ideally suited for tissue engineering applications because of its good bioactivity and biocompatibility, while the low mechanical properties, such as strength and toughness, have hindered its application under load-bearing conditions. In this study, Di scaffolds fabricated by selective laser sintering (SLS) were reinforced with graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs). The mechanism of GNPs on mechanical properties of Di scaffolds was researched. The results showed that the compressive strength and fracture toughness of 1 wt % GNPs/Di scaffold were improved by 102% and 34%, respectively, compared with those of Di scaffold without GNPs. It may be ascribed to the uniform distribution of GNPs in the Di matrix and the grain refinement. Moreover, there exist crack bridging, crack deflection, crack branching and GNPs pullout mechanisms. Furthermore, continuous apatite layers were formed on the scaffolds in SBF solution and MG-63 cells presented good attachment and spreading on the scaffolds in vitro.