Effect of Silver/Reduced Graphene Oxide@Titanium Dioxide (Ag/rGO@TiO2) Nanocomposites on the Mechanical Characteristics and Biocompatibility of Poly(Styrene-co-Methyl Methacrylate)-Based Bone Cement

TL;DR

This study shows that adding a special nanocomposite improves the strength and safety of bone cement used in medical applications.

Contribution

A new Ag/rGO@TiO2 nanocomposite is introduced to enhance the mechanical and biocompatible properties of PS-PMMA/PMMA-based bone cement.

Findings

The nanocomposite increased the elastic modulus and hardness of the bone cement compared to commercial products.

The nanocomposite improved the thermal properties of the bone cement.

The bone cement was non-toxic to MG63 cells in in vitro tests.

Abstract

This study reports the impact of a silver nanoparticles/reduced graphene oxide@titanium dioxide nanocomposite (Ag/rGO@TiO2) on the mechanical and biocompatibility properties of poly(styrene-co-methylmethacrylate)/poly methyl methacrylate (PS-PMMA/PMMA)-based bone cement. The chemical, structural, mechanical, and thermal characteristics of Ag/rGO@TiO2 nanocomposite-reinforced PS-PMMA bone cement ((Ag/rGO@TiO2)/(PS-PMMA)/PMMA) were evaluated using Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), nano-indentation, and electron microscopy. FT-IR, XRD, and transmission electron microscopy results confirmed the successful synthesis of the nanocomposite and the nanocomposite-incorporated bone cement. The elastic modulus (E) and hardness (H) of the ((Ag/rGO@TiO2)/(PS-PMMA)/PMMA) bone cement were measured to be 5.09 GPa and 0.202 GPa, respectively, compared to the commercial counterparts, which exhibited E and H values of 1.7 GPa to 3.7 GPa and 0.174 GPa, respectively. Incorporating Ag/rGO@TiO2 nanocomposites significantly enhanced the thermal properties of the bone cement. Additionally, in vitro studies demonstrated that the bone cement was non-toxic to the MG63 cell line.

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