Preparation of carbon nanotube/alginate nanocomposite gel for tissue engineering

以海藻酸钠水凝胶为载体，制备了一种新型的含碳纳米管（CNTs）的支架材料，并对其力学性能和生物相容性进行了评价。采用酸处理法制备可溶性碳纳米管，并将其分散在海藻酸钠溶液中作为交联剂。之后，评价所得纳米复合凝胶（CNT-Alg凝胶）的机械性能（弹性变形）、盐水吸附、组织学反应和细胞活力。CNT-Alg凝胶比传统的海藻酸盐凝胶具有更快的凝胶化速度和更高的机械强度。冷冻干燥的CNT-Alg凝胶的盐吸附量与海藻酸钠凝胶的盐吸附量相当。在组织学评价和细胞活力测定方面，CNT-Alg凝胶表现出轻微的炎症反应和无细胞毒性。因此，这些结果表明，CNT-Alg凝胶可以作为一种支架材料在组织工程与碳纳米管的侧壁作为活性位点的化学功能化。

A novel scaffold material based on an alginate hydrogel which contained carbon nanotubes (CNTs) was prepared, and its mechanical property and biocompatibility evaluated. Soluble CNTs were prepared with acid treatment and dispersed in sodium alginate solution as a cross-linker. After which, the mechanical property (elastic deformation), saline sorption, histological reaction, and cell viability of the resultant nanocomposite gel (CNT-Alg gel) were evaluated. The CNT-Alg gel showed faster gelling and higher mechanical strength than the conventional alginate gel. Saline sorption amount of freeze-dried CNT-Alg gel was equal to that of the alginate gel. In terms of histological evaluation and cell viability assay,CNT-Alg gel exhibited a mild inflammatory response and non-cytotoxicity. These results thus suggested that CNT-Alg gel could be useful as a scaffold material in tissue engineering with the sidewalls of CNTs acting as active sites for chemical functionalization.