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arXiv · 2510.07850

Graphene nanowindows as a basis for creating mechanically robust nanohydroxyapatite bone lamellar scaffolds

Abstract

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.

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BibTeXRIS

Radovan Kukobat, Ranko Škrbić, Sanja Jovičić, Milka Matičić, Aneta Stojmenovski, Marko Bulajić, Saša Marin, Darko Bodroža, Dragana Stević, Suzana Gotovac Atlagić, Nenad Ignjatović, Fernando Vallejos-Burgos, Elisa Mercadelli, Jessica Ponti, Francesco Fumagalli, Andrea Valsesia. 2025-10-09. Graphene nanowindows as a basis for creating mechanically robust nanohydroxyapatite bone lamellar scaffolds. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbon.2025.120589

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