Nanodiamond Reinforced PLLA Composites for Bone Tissue Engineering

Nanotechnology shows us many innovations and it is generally accepted view that many could be further developed and applied in tissue engineering. A novel composite material has been produced for bone scaffolds utilizing the biodegradable polymer poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) and octadecylamine functionalized nanodiamond (ND-ODA). The composites were characterized by hardness testing (Rockwell) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). DSC analysis of the composites showed no significant thermal behavior changes when adding ND into the polymer matrix. Rockwell result shows ND-ODA improves mechanical strength of composites 4 folds. To test the usefulness of ND-ODA/PLLA as a matrix for supporting cell growth, 7F2 Osteoblasts were cultured on scaffolds for 3 days. The results showed that the addition of ND-ODA has almost no influence on cell growth, which indicates the composites are biocompatible. All these results combined suggest that ND-ODA/PLLA might provide a novel composite suitable for bone tissue engineering application.