Journal of Advanced Materials and Technologies

Journal of Advanced Materials and Technologies

Investigation of the Effects of Hydroxyapatite Particles and Carbon Nanotubes on the Mechanical and Biological Properties of Chitosan/Gelatin Composites

Document Type : Original Reaearch Article

Authors
Samaneh Nikpar 1
Alireza Khavandi 2
Jafar Javadpour 2
Hamidreza Rezaie 2
1 MSc Student, School of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran.
2 Professor, School of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran.
10.30501/jamt.2025.500143.1317
Abstract
In this study, gelatin/chitosan hydrogels were synthesized using polymer casting and freeze-drying techniques. The effects of varying concentrations of hydroxyapatite (HA) particles and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on the mechanical and biological properties of the scaffolds were investigated. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) images showed that increasing the concentrations of HA and CNTs resulted in a reduction of the average pore size from 221 ± 5.53 µm to 80 ± 2 µm and 144 ± 3.61 µm, respectively. Water absorption capacity decreased from 2516% to 1367% and 1509% upon increasing HA and CNT content, respectively. Furthermore, the degradation rate of the scaffolds under in vitro conditions was reduced followed by the addition of nanoparticles. Compressive strength tests revealed that the Young’s modulus increased from 1.09 ± 0.05 MPa up to 4.92 ± 0.22 MPa and 2.90 ± 0.13 MPa as the HA and CNT concentrations increased, respectively. These findings suggest that gelatin/chitosan hydrogels containing HA particles and CNTs exhibit desirable microstructural properties, including uniform distribution of interconnected pores, enhanced swelling capacity, and improved mechanical performance, making them promising candidates for tissue engineering applications.
Keywords
Chitosan/Gelatin Hydrogel
Hydroxyapatite
Carbon Nanotubes

Subjects

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Journal of Advanced Materials and Technologies
Volume 13, Issue 4
Winter 2025
Pages 73-85

  • Receive Date 21 January 2025
  • Revise Date 09 March 2025
  • Accept Date 08 April 2025