Evaluation of the effects of alumina nanowire on 3D printed polycaprolactone / magnetic mesoporous bioactive glass scaffold for bone tissue engineering applications

Abstract

In bone tissue engineering, it is necessary to choose appropriate and efficient biomaterial for higher efficiency of the scaffold. This study used the sol-gel method to synthesise magnetic mesoporous bioactive glass (MMBG). Then, different percentage of alumina nanowire (Al2O3) were mechanically added to MMBG. After that, it was mixed with polycaprolactone (PCL) polymeric solution, and finally, the samples were printed using by Liquid Deposition Modeling (LDM) method. The results of X-ray diffraction (XRD), zeta potential, Bruner-Emmt-Teller (BET) and Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM) analysis illustrated that the synthesised bioactive glass nanoparticles have a mesoporous structure with paramagnetic properties. The SEM results of the 3D printed scaffolds illustrated homogeneous structures with interconnected pores. The scaffolds' mechanical strength and contact angle were significantly improved by adding Al2O3 up to 5 wt . Furthermore, the degradation and bioactivity of the scaffolds improved with the presence of alumina nanowires. Cell viability and proliferation of MG-63 cells and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity significantly increased in PCL/MMBG/5Al2O3 scaffolds compared to PCL and PCL/MMBG scaffolds. Results obtained from this study demonstrated that the 3D printed PCL/MMBG/5Al2O3 scaffold could be an acceptable candidate for bone tissue engineering applications.