Synthesis of oligoaniline-based bio-conductive materials for tissue engineering applications

Abstract

Recently, human life expectancy has improved by the engineering of biomaterials. To fulfill this purpose tissue engineering in particular is one of the nascent strategies. Designing biomimetic scaffolds with suitable features is an intellectual challenge of the realm of regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. Conductive substrates can ameliorate the cellular activity through enhancement of cellular signaling. Biocompatible polymers with conductivity can mimic the cells’ niche in an appropriate manner. In this regard, in chapter 2, electroactive hydrogels based on chitosan–aniline oligomer and agarose with self- gelling properties were synthesized, and their electrical, thermal, and electrochemical properties were characterized. The conductivity of the as-prepared aniline oligomer-based hydrogel was ∼$10^{-4}$ S/cm

which fell within the range of conductivities appropriate for applications in tissue engineering. The conductivity of the hydrogel was regulated by modifying the macromolecular architecture through aniline oligomer incorporation thanks to its conductivity on-demand drug release was observed by electrical stimulation. Biocompatibility analysis of the designed hydrogel was indicative of the conductivity enhancement, as reflected in the growth and proliferation of cellular activity. In chapter 3, hydrogel-based coating has been proposed to regulate the modulus of neural electrodes. The electroactive epoxidized chitosan was firstly synthesized and studied for electroactivity using cyclic voltammetry. This novel hydrogel based on electroactive coating can be potentially used as a neural electrode coating and pave a way for architecting new coating for biomedical devices. In chapter 4, conductive chitosan was synthesized by coupling with aniline oligomers and using electrospinning technique the conductive nanofiber was fabricated to mimic the tissue structure and properties. Moreover, biocompatibility evaluation was revealed that the conductive substrate provides the better platform for cellular activity than non-conductive one. Such platforms are the harbingers of the emerging new generation, which can revolutionize the tissue engineering to achieve better tissue regeneration and treatment.