The role of graphene nanowindows in the nanohydroxyapatite bone scaffold preparation is important for the preparation of mechanically robust scaffolds and implementation in bone recovery. Here, we report a graphene-nanohydroxyapatite (G-nHAP) scaffold synthesized by the hydrothermal method, along with its formation mechanism and promising in vivo applications. The G-nHAP scaffold exhibits excellent mechanical strength comparable to that of cancellous bone. The nHAP was grown on 2D layers of graphene with nanowindows. The role of nanowindows was to attract electrostatically Ca2+, PO43+, and OH− precursors of nHAP, forming a layered structure of G-nHAP, in which nHAP nanorods of 23.8 nm in diameter and 84.7 nm in length were placed between graphene layers, as evidenced with molecular dynamic simulations. In vivo study showed mature and mineralized bone and osteoid after six weeks. This demonstrates the role of graphene nanowindows in the formation of nHAP scaffolds that are promising for future implementation in bone tissue regeneration.

KUKOBAT Radovan;  SKRBIC Ranko;  JOVICIC Sanja;  MATCIC Milka;  STOOJMENOVSKI Aneta;  BULAJIC Marko;  MARIN Sasa;  BODROZA Darko;  STEVIC Dragana;  GOTOVAC ATLAGIC Suzana;  IGNJATOVIC Nenad;  VALLEJOS-BURGOS Fernando;  MERCADELLI Elisa;  PONTI Jessica;  FUMAGALLI Francesco Sirio;  VALSESIA Andrea; 

2025-04-30

PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD

JRC140935

1873-3891 (online),   

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0008622325006050,    https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC140935,   

10.1016/j.carbon.2025.120589 (online),