3D anisotropic photocatalytic architectures as bioactive nerve guidance conduits for peripheral neural regeneration

Great research efforts have been invested in developing nerve guidance conduits (NGCs), which can direct axons advance and guide peripheral neural regeneration. Here, three different aspects of NGC design, namely anisotropy, photocatalytic stimulation and self-assembly at implantation site, were unitedly addressed. Firstly, melt electrowriting (MEW) was used to print anisotropic, microfibrous PCL architectures. Specifically, by tailoring the fiber spacing ratio between two arms of the grid patterns (1-1, 1-2, 1-3), preferential neurite extension of PC 12 cells along the long arm direction was achieved. Such anisotropic neurites guidance was further strengthened when the intersection angles were reduced from 90° to 30°. Secondly, functionalization of PCL micropatterns with graphene oxide and graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄), a visible-light photocatalyst, may enable optoelectronic conversion and wireless neural stimulation. As a result, photocatalytic stimulation further enhanced neurite extension length under visible light irradiation. Last but not the least, NGC were successfully obtained either by manually rolling or self-assembly using a thermo-responsive bi-layer system. Interestingly, the anisotropic micropattern design dictated the self-assembly process, and an underlying mechanism was proposed. With a synergy of three unique design parameters, the herein presented NGCs may possess great potential for repairing peripheral nerve injuries.