Polyetheretherketone Hybrid Composites with Bioactive Nanohydroxyapatite and Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube Fillers.

Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) hybrid composites reinforced with inorganic nanohydroxyapatite (nHA) and multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWNT) were prepared by melt-compounding and injection molding processes. The additions of nHA and MWNT to PEEK were aimed to increase its elastic modulus, tensile strength, and biocompatibility, rendering the hybrids suitable for load-bearing implant applications. The structural behavior, mechanical property, wettability, osteoblastic cell adhesion, proliferation, differentiation, and mineralization of the PEEK/nHA-MWNT hybrids were studied. X-ray diffraction and SEM observation showed that both nHA and MWNT fillers are incorporated into the polymer matrix of PEEK-based hybrids. Tensile tests indicated that the elastic modulus of PEEK can be increased from 3.87 to 7.13 GPa by adding 15 vol % nHA and 1.88 vol % MWNT fillers. The tensile strength and elongation at break of the PEEK/(15% nHA)-(1.88% MWNT) hybrid were 64.48 MPa and 1.74%, respectively. Thus the tensile properties of this hybrid were superior to those of human cortical bones. Water contact angle measurements revealed that the PEEK/(15% nHA)-(1.88% MWNT) hybrid is hydrophilic due to the presence of nHA. Accordingly, hydrophilic PEEK/(15% nHA)-(1.88% MWNT) hybrid promoted the adhesion, proliferation, differentiation, and mineralization of murine MC3T3-E1 osteoblasts on its surface effectively on the basis of cell culture, fluorescence microscopy, MTT assay, WST-1 assay, alkaline phosphatase activity, and Alizarin red staining tests. Thus the PEEK/(15% nHA)-(1.88% MWNT) hybrid has the potential to be used for fabricating load-bearing bone implants.

The development, fabrication, and material characterization of polypropylene composites reinforced with carbon nanofiber and hydroxyapatite nanorod hybrid fillers.

This study focuses on the design, fabrication, microstructural and property characterization, and biocompatibility evaluation of polypropylene (PP) reinforced with carbon nanofiber (CNF) and hydroxyapatite nanorod (HANR) fillers. The purpose is to develop advanced PP/CNF-HANR hybrids with good mechanical behavior, thermal stability, and excellent biocompatibility for use as craniofacial implants in orthopedics. Several material-examination techniques, including X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, tensile tests, and impact measurement are used to characterize the microstructural, mechanical, and thermal properties of the hybrids. Furthermore, osteoblastic cell cultivation and colorimetric assay are also employed for assessing their viability on the composites. The CNF and HANR filler hybridization yields an improvement in Young's modulus, impact strength, thermal stability, and biocompatibility of PP. The PP/2% CNF-20% HANR hybrid composite is found to exhibit the highest elastic modulus, tensile strength, thermal stability, and biocompatibility.

Novel polypropylene biocomposites reinforced with carbon nanotubes and hydroxyapatite nanorods for bone replacements.

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) of 0.1 and 0.3 wt.% and hydoxyapatite nanorods (nHAs) of 8-20 wt.% were incorporated into polypropylene (PP) to form biocomposites using melt-compounding and injection molding techniques. The structural, mechanical, thermal and in vitro cell responses of the PP/MWNT-nHA hybrids were investigated. Tensile and impact tests demonstrated that the MWNT additions are beneficial in enhancing the stiffness, tensile strength and impact toughness of the PP/nHA nanocomposites. According to thermal analysis, the nHA and MWNT fillers were found to be very effective to improve dimensional and thermal stability of PP. The results of osteoblast cell cultivation and dimethyl thiazolyl diphenyl tetrazolium (MTT) tests showed that the PP/MWNT-nHA nanocomposites are biocompatible. Such novel PP/MWNT-nHA hybrids are considered to be potential biomaterials for making orthopedic bone implants.

Variation in the coordination mode of arenedisulfonates: syntheses and structural characterization of mononuclear and dinuclear cadmium(II) arenedisulfonate complexes with two- to zero-dimensional architectures.

Seven cadmium(II) arenedisulfonate compounds, namely [Cd(2,2'-bpy)(2)(H(2)O)(peds)].4H(2)O (1), [Cd(2)(2,2'-bpy)(4)(H(2)O)(2)(1,5nds)](1,5nds).4H(2)O (2), [Cd(cyclam)(1,5nds)](2) (3), ([Cd(inia)(2)(H(2)O)(2)(2,6nds)].4H(2)O)(n)(4), ([Cd(inia)(2)(H(2)O)(2)(bpds)].4H(2)O)(n)(5), ([Cd(2)(inia)(4)(H(2)O)(3)(peds)(2)].2H(2)O)(n)(6), and [Cd(1,5nds)(H(2)O)(2)](n) (7), where 2,2'-bpy = 2,2'-bipyridyl, cyclam = 1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane, inia = isonicotinamide, nds = naphthalenedisulfonate, bpds = 4,4'-biphenyldisulfonate, and peds = 4,4'-phenyletherdisulfonate, have been obtained from aqueous solution by using similar procedures and structurally characterized by X-ray single-crystal diffraction, IR spectroscopy, and thermal gravimetric analysis. In 1, the peds anion coordinates as a monodentate ligand, leading to a mononuclear unit. In 2 and 3, the 1,5nds anions coordinate as mu(2)-bridging ligands in different modes, producing charged or neutral dinuclear clusters. In 4 and 5, 2,6nds and bpds behave as mu(2)-spacers, resulting in 1-dimensional polymers. While in 6, the peds acts both as terminal and bridging ligands with the SO(3)(-) groups being either monodentate or mu(2)-bridging, creating a knotted 1-dimensional polymer with dinuclear clusters as the repeating units. In 7, 1,5nds acts as a bridging ligand with each SO(3)(-) coordinated as a mu(2)-bridging group to adjacent Cd(II) centers, leading to a 2-dimensional polymer. Together with the reported ([Cu(en)(2)(1,5nds)].2H(2)O)(n) (8), all of the six possible coordination modes adopted by organodisulfonate anions, on the assumption that each SO(3)(-) group could be monodentate or mu(2)-bridging, are realized by introducing nitrogen-containing organic ligands as auxiliaries.