Threshold Optimization of in Situ HAPclay in Polymeric Scaffolds for Superior Biomechanical Tuning

Current challenges in bone regeneration and the development of humanoid 3D bone testbeds can be addressed by creating bone-mimetic tissue engineering scaffolds with adjustable mechanical and biological properties. This study utilizes different percentages of in situ HAPclay with amino valeric acids to modify montmorillonite clay (MMT), resulting in polymer clay nanocomposites (PCNs) to construct 3D bone-mimetic scaffolds. The modification of MMT clay with amino valeric acids and different percentages of in situ HAPclay affect the scaffolds' mechanical properties and biological response. SEM/EDS analyses confirm the successful dispersion of in situ HAPclay within the PCL polymeric scaffolds. Despite representing a small portion of the scaffold, the presence of in situ HAPclay significantly influences the scaffold's mechanical properties. The result indicates that incorporating 1% in situ HAPClay into the scaffold marks the threshold for significant changes in mechanical properties compared to pure PCL. Cell viability assays confirm the biocompatibility of the scaffolds. Moreover, 3D PCL/in situ HAPclay scaffolds can achieve tunable mechanical properties and biological responses through a different percentage of in situ HAPclay.