Porous chitosan/graphene oxide biocomposites for tissue engineering

Porous chitosan/graphene oxide (CHT/GO) biocomposites with 0.5, 1, 2, and 3 wt% GO were prepared by freeze-drying method. The biocomposites were characterized regarding structural, morphological, and thermal properties, degradation, and swelling responses. Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results indicated good GO dispersion within the polymer host and highly porous structure for the obtained biocomposites. The GO presence has a profound effect on the structural features of the biocomposites generating decrease of swelling degree and enzymatic biodegradation rate. Conversely, the thermal stability of the biocomposites was significantly improved, and the decomposition temperature at which the mass loss is 3% (Td,3%) was increased with 64°C by adding 3 wt% GO within the CHT. The ability of the biocomposites to form apatite-like crystals was also investigated. X-ray diffraction and SEM analyses indicated the formation of apatite deposits on the CHT/GO biocomposites. POLYM. COMPOS., 38:363–370, 2017. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers