Titanium - castor oil based polyurethane composite foams for bone tissue engineering

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Biomaterials Engineering
• Polymer Chemistry

Background:

• Polyurethane (PU) foams are versatile materials with potential biomedical applications.
• Incorporating reinforcing agents like titanium (Ti) particles can enhance PU foam properties.
• Biocompatibility is crucial for materials intended for tissue regeneration scaffolds.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize polyurethane foams reinforced with titanium particles.
• To evaluate the physicochemical, mechanical, and biocompatibility properties of these composite foams.
• To assess the suitability of these Ti-PU foams as scaffolds for bone tissue regeneration.

Main Methods:

• Polyurethane (PU) foams were prepared using castor oil (CO) and isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI) with varying titanium (Ti) wt.% (1, 3, 5%).
• Physicochemical characterization included FTIR, RAMAN, X-ray diffraction, and EDX-mapping.
• Mechanical properties (compressive modulus, strength, density, porosity) and degradation behavior were assessed. Biocompatibility was evaluated using human dental pulp stem cells (HDPSC).

Main Results:

• Titanium incorporation was confirmed by spectroscopic and diffraction techniques.
• Mechanical properties like compressive modulus and strength increased with Ti content, while porosity decreased.
• Foams showed good stability in water but degraded in acidic and oxidative environments. HDPSC viability remained high (>80%) for 14 days, with proliferation decreasing by 21 days.

Conclusions:

• Titanium-reinforced polyurethane foams exhibit tunable mechanical properties and acceptable biocompatibility.
• The developed composite foams demonstrate potential as scaffolds for bone tissue regeneration.
• Further in vivo studies are warranted to confirm their efficacy in regenerative medicine.