TiO2 doped chitosan/poly (vinyl alcohol) nanocomposite film with enhanced mechanical properties for application in bone tissue regeneration.

Here, TiO2 nanoparticles have been doped into the polymer film-construct of Chitosan/poly (vinyl alcohol)/Nano-hydroxyapatite (CPHT I - III) to enhance the mechanical and biological properties of the film so as to mimic the human bone extracellular matrix for application in human bone regeneration. The synthesized films are highly porous in nature along with the presence of macrovoids. Significantly enhanced mechanical properties were obtained upon the addition of TiO2 in comparison to previous literature. Increasing content of n-HAP-TiO2 increased the elasticity, tensile strength of the films and the antibacterial efficacy against both Gram-Positive and Gram-Negative Bacteria. The pH of CPHT I-III films in saline remained in the low alkalinity range of (7.48-7.53) on day 14. CPHT I-III films were compatible with the human erythrocytes as their hemolysis was well below the limit of acute hemolysis. The in-vitro studies revealed the highly cytocompatible nature of CPHT III (15% n-HAP-TiO2) for osteoblast-like MG - 63 cell attachment and proliferation. The study has revealed that CPHT III has the potential to be used for bone tissue regeneration, our future studies will be focused on the in-vivo investigations to establish its use in clinical settings.