The in vitro biomineralization and cytocompatibility of polydopamine coated carbon nanotubes

In this work, polydopamine coated carbon nanotubes were firstly prepared by a simple and feasible route. Then, for comparison, the in vitro bioactivity and cytocompatibility of the carbon nanotubes and the polydopamine coated carbon nanotubes were assessed by immersion study in simulated body fluids and 3-(4,5-dimethyldiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide test using osteoblast cells (MC3T3-E1), respectively. As a result, it has been demonstrated that the introduction of polydopamine coating can greatly enhance the bioactivity and promote cell proliferation of the carbon nanotubes. The improvement of bioactive behavior is attributed to the good combination of catecholamines structure of the polydopamine and the structural advantages of carbon nanotubes as a framework material. It is anticipated that the polydopamine coated carbon nanotubes would find potential applications in bone tissue engineering and other biomedical areas.

Research highlights▶ A thin polydopamine (Pdop) layer has been coated on carbon nanotubles (CNTs). ▶ The Pdop coated CNTs (Pdop-CNTs) exhibits the good wettability and dispersibility. ▶ The bioactivity and cytocompatibilty of Pdop-CNTs are also improved. ▶ The CNTs-Pdop can find potential applications in biomedical fields.