Nano-Hydroxyapatite/Poly(methyl methacrylate) Composite Bone Scaffold: Surfactant Surface Effects

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Tissue Engineering
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Bone tissue engineering requires advanced scaffolds with suitable mechanical properties and biocompatibility.
• Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) is a versatile polymer, but its application in bone regeneration can be limited by its mechanical strength and bioactivity.
• Nano-hydroxyapatite (n-HA) is a key component for enhancing bone regeneration due to its similarity to natural bone mineral.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate and characterize poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) nanofiber scaffolds reinforced with nano-hydroxyapatite (n-HA).
• To investigate the effect of sodium tripolyphosphate (STTP) as a surfactant on the dispersion and morphology of n-HA within PMMA nanofibers.
• To evaluate the mechanical properties and biocompatibility of the developed n-HA-reinforced PMMA nanofiber scaffolds for bone tissue engineering applications.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of PMMA/n-HA nanofiber scaffolds using electrospinning with STTP as a surfactant.
• Characterization of fiber morphology and composition using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).
• Assessment of mechanical properties through tensile testing and evaluation of cytotoxicity using L929 fibroblast cells.

Main Results:

• STTP addition effectively stabilized n-HA dispersion, leading to homogeneous PMMA_10_HA_S nanofibers with an average diameter of 345.40 ± 53.55 nm.
• The n-HA-reinforced PMMA nanofibers exhibited enhanced mechanical properties, with a maximum tensile stress of 4.16 ± 2.13 MPa and elongation of 7.1 ± 1.95%.
• Cytotoxicity assays confirmed no adverse effects of PMMA_10_HA_S nanofibers on L929 fibroblast cells at concentrations up to 100 mg/mL.

Conclusions:

• The incorporation of n-HA and stabilization with STTP significantly improved the structural integrity and mechanical performance of PMMA nanofibers.
• The developed PMMA_10_HA_S nanofiber scaffolds demonstrate excellent biocompatibility.
• These findings suggest that STTP-stabilized n-HA-reinforced PMMA nanofiber scaffolds are promising candidates for future bone tissue engineering applications.