Research Article Title: Graphene-Enhanced PCL Electrospun Nanofiber Scaffolds for Cardiac Tissue Engineering

Ana M Muñoz-Gonzalez, Sara Leal-Marin, Dianney Clavijo-Grimaldo and Birgit Glasmacher

Abstract

Cardiovascular diseases, particularly myocardial infarction, have significant healthcare challenges due to the limited regenerative capacity of injured heart tissue. Cardiac tissue engineering (CTE) offers a promising approach to repairing myocardial damage using biomaterials that mimic the heart’s extracellular matrix. This study investigates the potential of graphene nanopowder (Gnp)-enhanced polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffolds fabricated via electrospinning to improve the properties necessary for effective cardiac repair. This work aimed to analyze scaffolds with varying graphene concentrations (0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, and 2% by weight) to determine their morphological, chemical, mechanical, and biocompatibility characteristics. The results presented that incorporating graphene improves PCL scaffolds’ mechanical properties and cellular interactions. The optimal concentration of 1% graphene significantly enhanced mechanical properties and biocompatibility, promoting cell adhesion and proliferation. These findings suggest that Gnp-enhanced PCL scaffolds at this concentration can serve as a potent substrate for CTE providing insights into designing more effective biomaterials for myocardial restoration.

Keywords: Cardiac tissue engineering (CTE), myocardial infarction, polycaprolactone (PCL), graphene nanoplatelets (Gnp), electrospinning, biocompatibility, scaffold

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Materials and methods

Electrospinning Gnp-PCL

Solution preparation 13% (w/v) PCL pellets (Mw 80,000, Sigma Aldrich) were dissolved in TFE (2,2,2-trifluoroethanol at 99.8%, abcr GmbH) as a solvent and stirred overnight at room temperature. Once the PCL was completely dissolved, the Gnp (Nanopowder, Bravecount Materials) was added in different concentrations: 0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, and 2% (w/v). To ensure that the Gnp is well dispersed, the solutions were mixed with a magnetic stirrer (IKA RCT basic, Germany) for 4 h and, before the electrospinning, mixed with an ultrasonic bath (Bandelin Sonorex Digitec, Germany) for 15 min.

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Research article on Sage Journals

Origin: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/03913988241266088

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Bravecount's Graphene Used in Cardiac Tissue Engineering

Research Article Title: Graphene-Enhanced PCL Electrospun Nanofiber Scaffolds for Cardiac Tissue Engineering

Abstract

Materials and methods

Electrospinning Gnp-PCL

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Bravecount's Graphene Used in Cardiac Tissue Engineering

Research Article Title: Graphene-Enhanced PCL Electrospun Nanofiber Scaffolds for Cardiac Tissue Engineering

Abstract

Materials and methods

Electrospinning Gnp-PCL

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