The Effect of Co-Encapsulated GO-Cu Nanofillers on Mechanical Properties, Cell Response, and Antibacterial Activities of Mg-Zn Composite

• Published in: Metals (Basel ) 2022-02, Vol.12 (2), p.207
• Main Authors: Saberi, Abbas, Bakhsheshi-Rad, Hamid Reza, Ismail, Ahmad Fauzi, Sharif, Safian, Razzaghi, Mahmood, Ramakrishna, Seeram, Berto, Filippo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: antibacterial activity biocompatibility; Bacterial infections; Biocompatibility; Biodegradability; Biodegradable materials; Bones; Compressive strength; Contact angle; Copper; Corrosion effects; Corrosion potential; Corrosion resistance; Electrodes; Enzymes; Ethanol; Fractures; GO-Cu nanofillers; Graphene; Infections; Intermetallic compounds; Load transfer; Magnesium; Magnesium alloys; Mechanical properties; Nanocomposites; Orthopaedic implants; Orthopedics; Particle size; Plasma sintering; Powder metallurgy; Sintering (powder metallurgy); Spark plasma sintering; Synergistic effect; Tissue engineering; Toxicity; Zinc
• ISSN: 2075-4701; 2075-4701
• DOI: 10.3390/met12020207

Magnesium-based composites have recently been studied as biodegradable materials for preparing orthopedic implants. In this article, the graphene oxide (GO) and GO-Cu nanosystem has been homogenously dispersed as a reinforcement in the matrix of Mg-Zn (MZ) alloy using the semi powder metallurgy (SPM) method, and subsequently, the composite has been successfully manufactured using the spark plasma sintering (SPS) process. GO and GO-Cu reinforced composite displayed a higher compressive strength (~55%) than the unreinforced Mg-Zn sample. GO and GO-Cu dual nanofillers presented a synergistic effect on enhancing the effectiveness of load transfer and crack deflection in the Mg-based matrix. Besides, the GO-Cu dual nanofillers displayed a synergistic influence on antibacterial activity through combining the capturing influences of GO nanosheets with the killing influences of Cu. However, electrochemical and in-vitro immersion evaluation showed that Cu-GO reinforcement had a slightly negative effect on the corrosion behavior of the Mg-Zn sample, but the incorporation of GO enhanced corrosion resistance of the composite. Moreover, MZ/GO and MZ/GO-Cu nanocomposites showed acceptable cytotoxicity to MG-63 cells and revealed a high potential for use as an orthopedic implant material. Based on the research results, MZ/GO-Cu nanocomposite could be used in bone tissue engineering applications.