# Optimizing Biodegradable Poly(D,L-lactide) Scaffolds Reinforced with Graphene Oxide for Bone Tissue Regeneration

## TL;DR

This paper explores how adding graphene oxide to biodegradable scaffolds improves their strength and suitability for bone tissue engineering.

## Contribution

The study introduces a novel method of reinforcing PDLLA scaffolds with graphene oxide to enhance mechanical and thermal properties for bone regeneration.

## Key findings

- Graphene oxide improves mechanical strength and thermal stability of PDLLA scaffolds.
- Higher GO content scaffolds retained superior mechanical strength during degradation.
- All scaffold variants showed biocompatibility in cytotoxicity assays.

## Abstract

This study investigates the potential of porous poly(D,L-lactide) (PDLLA) scaffolds reinforced with graphene oxide (GO) for bone tissue engineering applications. Scaffolds were fabricated using thermally induced phase separation (TIPS) and characterized in terms of morphology, biodegradation, thermal and mechanical properties, and cytocompatibility. The incorporation of GO enhanced both mechanical strength and thermal stability, likely due to hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interactions between GO’s functional groups (carbonyl, carboxyl, epoxide, and hydroxyl) and PDLLA chains. In vitro degradation studies showed that GO accelerated degradation, while scaffolds with higher GO content retained superior mechanical strength. Cytotoxicity assays confirmed the biocompatibility of all scaffold variants, supporting their suitability for biomedical applications. Overall, the findings demonstrate how GO incorporation can modulate scaffold composition and performance. This provides insights for the design of improved systems for bone tissue regeneration.