Influence of Organic Reinforcements on the Structural and Mechanical Properties of Epoxy Dental Composites

Background The increasing demand for mercury-free restorative materials has encouraged the development of alternative biomaterials with improved mechanical strength and biocompatibility. Aim To compare the mechanical and biological performance of carbon nanotube (CNT)- and graphene oxide (GO)-reinforced epoxy composites as potential restorative materials. Objectives To fabricate epoxy nanocomposites with varying CNT (1%, 2.5%, 5%) and GO (5%, 10%, 15%) concentrations and evaluate their tensile, compressive, nano-mechanical, and cytotoxic characteristics. Materials and methods Epoxy composites were synthesized using epoxy resin and hardener systems incorporated with CNT and GO nanofillers. Mechanical properties were evaluated through tensile, compressive, and nanoindentation testing, while cytotoxicity on human gingival fibroblasts was assessed using the crystal violet assay. Results GO-reinforced composites showed higher modulus and tensile strength than CNT-reinforced systems in this limited sample (n=2 per group). The apparent optimum reinforcement occurred at 10% GO and 2.5% CNT. Conclusion Controlled incorporation of CNTs and GO improved the mechanical performance of epoxy composites and was not associated with marked short-term cytotoxicity at lower loadings in a preliminary screening assay.