Hydroxyapatite-gelatin and calcium carbonate- gelatin nanocomposite scaffolds: Production, physicochemical characterization and comparison of their bioactivity in simulated body fluid

In this study, HAP-gelatin and CC-gelatin nanocomposite scaffolds, as bioactive inorganic materials, were synthesized successfully through a chemical precipitation procedure. Next, characterization of the prepared nanocomposite scaffolds was completed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta-sizer (for zeta potential measurement), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Then, we soaked the generated nanocomposite scaffolds in the simulated body fluid (SBF) for several times to investigate and compare the bioactivity of these nanocomposites and determine the percent of weight loss. The rate of calcium ions dissolution in SBF media was determined utilizing atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS). The findings of characterization showed that the preparation of nanocomposites was successful with monodispersed nanosized particles, uniform agglomerated morphology, crystalline form, and negative surface charge. According to the results of the bioactivity test, both nanocomposite scaffolds were of high bioactivity, corroborated well with the patterns of calcium release. Calcium ions released from the HAP-gelatin nanocomposite were higher than that of the CC-gelatin. However, the bioactivity of CC was comparable with well-known bioactive HAP material. Therefore, it could be a promising alternative for use compared with HAP, the preparation of which is more complicated and expensive.