Nano hydroxyapatite (nHA), the primary inorganic component of bone widely utilized in bone tissue engineering, suffers from poor mechanical properties when used alone. Conversely, polyetherketoneketone (PEKK), a high-performance polymer approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and used in dentistry and biomaterial science, struggles with bioinertia, affecting its osteogenesis applications.
In a study (doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.supmat.2023.100062 ) published in the KeAi journal Supramolecular Materials, researchers from Sichuan University, China, introduced pDA-nHA/PEKK composites that combine high strength and bioactivity.
“The optimal combination of nHA and PEKK can achieve higher mechanical property and bioactivity,” shares lead author Zhongyi Wang. “Nevertheless, conventional melt blending techniques often result in weakened strength due to nanoparticle agglomeration and the lack of chemical bonds between the inorganic and organic constituents."
To that end, the team drew inspiration from the structure of cortical bone. By employing freeze-casting technology, the researchers mimicked the bone's hierarchical structure, which is known for its exceptional stiffness and toughness. This technique allowed them to produce complex hierarchical materials. The novel approach, characterized by the in-situ polymerization of PEKK, resulted in the development of pDA-nHA scaffolds with enhanced osteo-inductive abilities and supplemented mechanical strength through PEKK.
Corresponding Haiyang Yu highlighted this development as an advancement in supramolecular materials, surpassing the strength capabilities of current methods. Yu hopes their approach to hierarchical architecture and in-situ polymerization will inspire further scientific discoveries.
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References
DOI
10.1016/j.supmat.2023.100062
Original Source URL
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.supmat.2023.100062
Funding information
This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 82071145) and the Research Fund of Interdisciplinary Innovation Project from West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University (RD-03-202009).
About Supramolecular Materials
Supramolecular Materials is a publication of peer-reviewed research. It covers all aspects of these materials, which are based on supramolecular interactions or self-assembly. The journal welcomes submissions of research articles/communications, perspectives/concepts, and reviews on both fundamental insight into supramolecular interactions, and demonstrations of functional supramolecular systems. The journal publishes research on design/fabrication/characterization of non-covalently interactive supramolecular systems, with diverse features such as being dynamic, reversible, self-adaptive, stimulus-responsive etc.