Electrochemically prepared composites of graphene oxide and conducting polymers: Cytocompatibility of cardiomyocytes and neural progenitors

The cytocompatibility of cardiomyocytes derived from embryonic stem cells and neural progenitors, which were seeded on the surface of composite films made of graphene oxide (GO) and polypyrrole (PPy-GO) or poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT-GO) are reported. The GO incorporated in the composite matrix contributes to the patterning of the composite surface, while the electrically conducting PPy and PEDOT serve as ion-to-electron transducers facilitating electrical stimulation/sensing. The films were fabricated by a simple one-step electropolymerization procedure on electrically conducting indium tin oxide (ITO) and graphene paper (GP) substrates. Factors affecting the cell behaviour, i.e. the surface topography, wettability, and electrical surface conductivity, were studied. The PPy-GO and PEDOT-GO prepared on ITO exhibited high surface conductivity, especially in the case of the ITO/PPy-GO composite. We found that for cardiomyocytes, the PPy-GO and PEDOT-GO composites counteracted the negative effect of the GP substrate that inhibited their growth. Both the PPy-GO and PEDOT-GO composites prepared on ITO and GP significantly decreased the cytocompatibility of neural progenitors. The presented results enhance the knowledge about the biological properties of electroactive materials, which are critical for tissue engineering, especially in context stimuli-responsive scaffolds.