Graphene oxide reinforced doped dicalcium phosphate bone cements for bone tissue regenerations

Artificial bone cements have widespread applications in orthopedic and dental surgeries. Nevertheless, there is a need to develop novel materials for artificial bone cements due to limitations like short-service life, weak interaction and attachment with living hard tissue, and the inability to facilitate bone regeneration of calcified tissues rather than replacing them. In the present research, a novel combination of lanthanum (La3+) ions doped dicalcium phosphate (DCP) (La-DCP) and 1.5-3.5 wt.% of graphene oxide (GO) doped La-DCP bone cement materials were successfully synthesized and reported for the first time. Acid/base interaction between La-beta-tricalcium phosphate (La-beta TCP) and monocalcium phosphate monohydrate (MCPM) in the presence of water was the basis for making the La-DCP cements. The synthesized cements were characterized using the XRD, FTIR, FESEM, UV-Vis and TGA techniques. Produced material had La-DCP as in the monetite phase, and La-DCP particles were formed in agglomerates of irregular shapes. The presence of GO enhanced the growth rate of monetite particles, significantly decreased the setting time of the La-DCP bone cement, enhanced mechanical properties and enhanced the adsorption capacity of La-DCP. In vitro studies showed that synthesized GO/La-DCP bone cements were biocompatible, and the proliferation and differentiation properties of human osteosarcoma (Saos-2) cells were significantly improved with the addition of GO. In summary, the synthesized GO/La-DCP bone cement materials, which exhibit good biocompatibility and mechanical properties, have the potential to be employed in bone defect healing.