Preparation and characterization of pentapeptide-grafted poly(D,L-lactide)/nanohydroxyapatite/poly(D,L-lactide) composite membrane

A kind of novel bioinspired polymeric material based on poly(D,L-lactic acid) was prepared. Firstly, the maleic anhydride (MA) grafted to PDLLA (PDLLA-g-MA) was synthesized, then PDLLA-g-MA reacted with Gly-Arg-Gly-Asp-Tyr (GRGDY) pentapeptide, which can give the biocompatibility and bioactivity to polymer. Then nano-hydroxyapatite (HAP) was added to enhance the hydrophilicity and cell adhesion of composite obtained. According to spectroscopy (FTIR, 13C NMR) and pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, PDLLA-g-MA and PDLLA-g-MA-g-GRGDY were synthesized successfully. Static water contact angle test, thermogravimetry, methylthiazolyl tetrazolium assay and scanning electron microscopy were used to characterize the properties of materials. The results show that the new composite material had better hydrophilicity and cell affinity than pure PDLLA, so it can be used as a potential composite membrane for tissue engineering application.