Chitosan-Alginate Porous Scaffolds Reinforced by Hydroxyapatite Nano- and Micro-Particles: Structural, Mechanical, and Biological Properties

Chitosan-alginate porous scaffolds were developed with addition of nano- and micro-sized hydroxyapatite (HA) to improve their mechanical and biological properties. Nano- and micro-scaled inclusions of different concentrations were incorporated into scaffolds to reveal the influence of their amounts and sizes on mechanical strength of scaffolds and on cell attachment and proliferation of osteoblasts. SEM results showed that the chitosan-alginate composite scaffold has an interconnected, homogeneous porous structure. IR spectrum analysis confirmed the strong intermolecular interaction between HA particles and the polymer matrix. The amount and size of HA particles affected the mechanical strength, with the highest strength obtained when 10 wt% nano-sized HA was incorporated. Cell proliferation and viability examination illustrated that cells proliferated better on the scaffolds with nano-sized HA than on scaffolds without HA or with micro-sized HA.