Fabrication and characterization of rGO / HAp-Sr nanocomposite containing reduced graphene oxide / nano-hydroxyapatite / strontium and determination of osteoinductive potential of nanocomposite

Graphene-based nanomaterials are being investigated for their biocompatibility and bioactivity, as well as their ability to improve osteogenic differentiation. In this research, the base material, reduced graphene oxide (rGO) sheets, were decorated with hydroxyapatite and strontium (rGO / HAp-Sr) to induce osteogenic differentiation in adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells. Different techniques were used to determine the properties of the nanocomposite such as diffraction analysis techniques (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (to evaluate the size and morphology of HAp-Sr on rGO plates), FT-IR (to analyze the nanocomposite functional group), Raman spectroscopy (to investigate possible disorders in nanocomposite structure and number of layers), induced dual plasma emission spectroscopy (to assess atomic concentration of Ca and Sr), zeta potential(electrical potential of the nanocomposite) and MTT (nanocomposite cytotoxicity assessment) were used. The ossification potential of the synthesized nanocomposite was investigated and confirmed using the calcium deposition test in dipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells. According to the obtained results, osteogenic differentiation induction is possible using synthesized nanocomposites without the need for chemical inducers.