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Microwave‐assisted fabrication of chitosan–hydroxyapatite superporous hydrogel composites as bone scaffolds
Author(s) -
Beşkardeş Işıl Gerçek,
Demirtaş Tuğrul Tolga,
Durukan Müge Dağlı,
Gümüşderelioğlu Menemşe
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.835
H-Index - 72
eISSN - 1932-7005
pISSN - 1932-6254
DOI - 10.1002/term.1677
Subject(s) - chitosan , glyoxal , materials science , composite material , composite number , fabrication , microwave , self healing hydrogels , chemical engineering , tissue engineering , gelatin , biomedical engineering , chemistry , polymer chemistry , medicine , biochemistry , alternative medicine , physics , organic chemistry , pathology , quantum mechanics , engineering
In this study, a novel scaffold fabrication method was developed by combining microwave irradiation and gas foaming. Chitosan superporous hydrogels (SPHs) and chitosan–hydroxyapatite (HA) superporous hydrogel composites (SPHCs) were prepared by using this method in the presence of crosslinking agent, glyoxal, and a gas‐blowing agent, NaHCO 3 . In order to examine the effect of HA on composite structure and cellular behaviour, two types of HA particles, i.e. spherical beads in 45–80 µm diameter and powder form, were used. While rapid heating with microwave irradiation enhances gas blowing, pH increment, which is accelerated by NaHCO 3 decomposition, provides better crosslinking. Thus, interconnected and well‐established macroporous hydrogels/hydrogel composites were produced easily and rapidly (~1 min). Cell culture studies, which were carried out under static and dynamic conditions with MC3T3‐E1 pre‐osteoblastic cells, indicated that chitosan–HA bead SPHCs supported cellular proliferation and osteoblastic differentiation better than chitosan SPHs and chitosan–HA powder SPHCs. In conclusion, simultaneous gas foaming and microwave crosslinking can be evaluated for the preparation of composite scaffolds which have superior properties for bone tissue engineering. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.