Macroporous and nanofibrous PLLA scaffolds reinforced with calcium phosphate-coated multiwalled carbon nanotubes

Scaffolds with both macro- and nanoscale structures have shown promise in tissue engineering; however, their mechanical properties are not satisfactory for load-bearing bone regeneration. In this study, calcium phosphate-coated multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs-CaP) were developed to reinforce macroporous poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) scaffolds with nanofibrous pore walls. The scaffolds were prepared using a phase separation/particle-leaching method. One-dimensional MWCNTs-CaP were prepared via phosphorylation and mineralization. The addition of the MWCNTs-CaP did not affect the nanofibrous pore walls of the resulting PLLA scaffolds. In comparison with pure PLLA scaffolds, the compressive properties of PLLA/MWCNTs-CaP composite scaffolds were significantly improved, indicating their potential in bone regeneration applications.