Multiscale analysis of P(VDF-TrFE) based bio-composite films for enhancing bone regeneration

Abstract

With an unprecedented increase in the aging population around the globe, it is ever more vital to develop new materials to assist the healing of aged or broken skeletal tissues. Recent studies into bone repair mechanisms have revealed that cells are driven by electrical signals, and that increasing the piezoelectric properties of hydroxyapatite (HAp), the main constituent of the rigid cortical bone, increases the speed of osteoinduction and osteointegration. In this study, we incorporated hydroxyapatite fillers into a ferroelectric poly(vinylidene fluoride trifluoroethylene) (P(VDF-TrFE)) polymer matrix to form a biocompatible film that promotes electrochemical stimulus without any external bias, when implanted within the body. The electrical potential created by the uniaxially oriented dipoles of the film enhances the repairing of tissue defects by restoration of the physiological electrical microenvironment. To analyze the properties of the composite film, XRD, FT-IR, SEM, and AFM were used, and the annealing conditions were optimized to repeatedly produce films of uniform quality. Based on electrical and topological measurements, we confirm the promising potential of our composite biomembrane as a viable material to assist endogenous bone growth.