Zinc oxide surface-functionalized PCL/graphene oxide scaffold: enhanced mechanical and antibacterial properties

Porous poly caprolactone (PCL)/graphene oxide (GO) scaffold was fabricated using both particulate and foaming agents to yield better control over pore size. Then, the surface of the PCL/GO scaffold was modified by the aminolysis method for further treatment. Needle-like zinc oxide (ZnO) was synthesized and its antibacterial activity was verified by the disk diffusion method. Next, ZnO immobilized onto the aminolyzed PCL/GO scaffold. The mechanical test demonstrated a pronounced increment of young's modulus for the PCL scaffold. It is expected that such an engineered scaffold has a high potential to be used in tissue engineering with minimal irritation due to infections during implantation.