Chitosan/graphene and poly(D, L-lactic-co-glycolic acid)/graphene nano-composites for nerve tissue engineering

This study aimed at examining and comparing the fabrication process, electrical conductivity, and biological properties of Chitosan/Graphene membranes and poly(D, L-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA)/Graphene membranes. Nano-composite membranes were made using chitosan or PLGA matrix, and 0.5-1.5 wt.% graphene nano-sheets as the reinforcement material; all the membranes were fabricated through solution casting method. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction results indicated that the graphene had been uniformly dispersed in polymeric matrix. The membranes with 1.5 wt.% graphene appeared to have the highest value of electrical conductivity among all the examined the membranes and this growth was about 10(6) in comparison with neat polymers. Since the Chitosan 1.5% graphene membrane was found to have the highest proliferation after 72 hours by MTT [3-(4, 5-di-methylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] assay of PC12 cell line (p < 0.05), it is promising to consider nano-composite membrane for nerve tissue engineering applications.