Silanization improves biocompatibility of graphene oxide

Mater Sci Eng C Mater Biol Appl. 2020 May:110:110647. doi: 10.1016/j.msec.2020.110647. Epub 2020 Jan 7.

Abstract

Evaluation of the biological properties of silanized graphene oxide is important in the context of biomedical applications of the material. In this study, we have evaluated the toxicity, immunogenicity and other biological properties like osteogenicity of silanized graphene oxide (SiGO). Graphene oxide (GO) was silanized using a common silanizing agent namely (3-aminopropyl) triethoxysilane (APTES). Silanization was confirmed through infrared spectroscopy and elemental mapping. Post-silanization, we did not observe any significant changes in the morphology of GO. Silanization leads to an increase in the interlayer distance and disorder in the lattice. Study of in vitro toxicity of SiGO on three different cell lines namely primary human dermal fibroblast, murine embryonic fibroblast and human osteosarcoma cell lines revealed that toxicity of SiGO was significantly less than GO. We further showed that in vitro immune activation of macrophage was less in the case of SiGO in comparison to GO. Profiling of osteogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cell revealed that SiGO is less osteogenic than GO. Study of acute toxicity in the murine model indicated that GO was hepatotoxic at experimental concentration whereas SiGO did not show any significant toxicity. This study implied that SiGO is a better biocompatible material than GO.

Keywords: APTES; Biocompatibility; Graphene oxide; Osteogenic differentiation; Silanization; Systemic toxicity.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Alkaline Phosphatase / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Biocompatible Materials / pharmacology*
  • Blood Cell Count
  • Body Weight / drug effects
  • Cell Cycle / drug effects
  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Cytoskeleton / drug effects
  • Cytoskeleton / metabolism
  • Dermis / cytology
  • Fibroblasts / drug effects
  • Graphite / pharmacology*
  • Graphite / toxicity
  • Hemoglobins / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • NIH 3T3 Cells
  • Organ Size / drug effects
  • Osteocalcin / metabolism
  • Osteogenesis / drug effects
  • Silanes / pharmacology*
  • Silanes / toxicity
  • Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission
  • Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared
  • Spectrum Analysis, Raman
  • Toxicity Tests
  • X-Ray Diffraction

Substances

  • Biocompatible Materials
  • Hemoglobins
  • Silanes
  • graphene oxide
  • Osteocalcin
  • Graphite
  • Alkaline Phosphatase