Physical and in vitro biological evaluation of a PA 6/MWCNT electrospun composite for biomedical applications

Abstract

Significant progress in the study of scaffolds for cell growth has taken place that has led to the development of a wide variety of metallic, polymeric, ceramic, and composite biomaterials. This article describes the fabrication and characterization of an electrospun net with tunable morphological and mechanical properties composed by aligned fibers of polyamide 6 (PA 6) and carboxyl-functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT). Physical and short-term biological properties of the nets were evaluated, focusing on the effect of the filler addition. The production technique used, induced the alignment of MWCNT within the nanofiber axis and the formation of a roughness on the fiber’s surface. The proliferation and activation of MG63 cell line osteoblasts were enhanced due to surface modification caused by the filler addition compared to the purely PA 6 networks.

Keywords

carbon nanotube composite electrospinning polyamide

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