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Updated: Oct 27, 2025
Graphene Coatings for Biomedical Implants
Published on: March 1, 2013
Light-induced osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs with graphene/TiO2 composite coating on Ti implant
Xiaojun Long1, Li Duan2, Wenjian Weng3
1School of Materials Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Silicon Materials, Cyrus Tang Center for Sensor Materials and Applications, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China; Department of Orthopedics, Shenzhen Intelligent Orthopaedics and Biomedical Innovation Platform, Guangdong Artifificial Intelligence Biomedical Innovation Platform, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen 518035, China; Dr. Li Dak Sum and Yip Yio Chin Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China.
Abstract:
Light-induced surface potential have been demonstrated as an effective bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) osteogenic differentiation regulator. However, traditional bone repair implants almost were weak or no light-responsive. Fortunately, surface modification was a feasible strategy to realize its light functionalization for bone implants. Herein, a graphene oxide (GO)/titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanodots composite coating on the surface of titanium (Ti) implant was constructed, and GO was reduced to reduced graphene oxide (rGO) with the method of UV-assisted photocatalytic reduction. After rGO deposited on the surface of TiO2, a heterojunction formed at the interface of rGO and TiO2. With visible light illumination, positive charges accumulated on the surface of rGO/TiO2 film, and performed as a positive surface potential change. The light-induced surface potential which was generated under proper light intensity is harmless to the cell adhesion and proliferation behavior, but presented a good BMSCs osteogenic differentiation promoting effect, and the activation of the voltage-gated calcium channels through surface potential and the promotion of the adsorption of osteogenic growth factors could be the reason. This work given a new insight of the modification for Ti implant with a light-induced surface potential, and shows potential application for bone regeneration on the clinical practice through light stimulation.
