Abstract:
Hydroxyapatite (HAP) is an attractive bio-material for new bone growth process, hard tissue repair, bioactivity,
osteoblast adhesion and proliferation due to its physicochemical resembles natural apatite. The intrinsic brittleness and poor mechanical properties of HAP restrict it for potential clinical applications. This problem is
undertaken by exploiting the unique properties of carbon nanofillers (carbon nanotube (CNTs), graphene oxide
(GO), graphene oxide-carbon nanotube (GCNTs) hybrid) which are used as reinforcement for preparing the
carbon nanofillers based HAP composites. The nanomechanical and in-vitro biocompatibility of carbon nanofiller
reinforced HAP composites have been studied. Carbon nanofiller reinforced HAP composites led to an
improvement in nanomechanical and biocompatibility properties. The nanoindentation hardness and elastic
modulus of GCNTs-HAP composites are significantly higher than other carbon nanofiller reinforced composites
and pristine HAP powder. The in-vitro cytotoxicity of the prepared carbon nanofillers reinforced HAP composites
is examined using MTT-assay on the MDCK cell line. The prepared GCNTs-HAP composites containing 2% of
GCNTs nanofiller show higher cell viability, improved compatibility, and superior one cell proliferation induction than the other carbon nanofillers and HAP. These findings will provide the new prospects for utilizing the
GO and its hybrid in HAP composites in bone repair, regeneration, augmentation and implantation.
