Zhouxing Yu

Masterstudent

Fabrication and Characterization of Polymer-Bioactive Glass Composites for Subchondral Bone Scaffolds

Supervisors:  Hannah Kissel, M. Sc., Prof. Aldo R. Boccaccini

Subchondral bone regeneration demands scaffolds that recapitulate the mechanical and biological properties of trabecular bone. In a biphasic design, soft and hard biomaterials are combined to achieve suitable biological and mechanical properties. Adding mesoporous bioactive glass nanoparticles (MBGNs)^[1] to polycaprolactone (PCL) enhances bioactivity and bone-bonding ability, yet poor interfacial adhesion between filler and polymer remains a key challenge. This thesis addresses that limitation by exploring different strategies to improve the polymer–filler interface^[2], and systematically investigates how MBGN content affects printability, wettability, bioactivity, and mechanical properties of the resulting composites. Chemical and structural properties, mechanical performance under compression, and in vitro cell viability and morphology are evaluated, aiming at a mechanically competent and bioactive scaffold for subchondral bone repair.

1.Liang Q, Hu Q, Miao G, Yuan B, Chen X. A facile synthesis of novel mesoporous bioactive glass nanoparticles with various morphologies and tunable mesostructure by sacrificial liquid template method. Materials letters 2015; 148:45-49.

2.Pant S, Loganathan S, Valapa RB. Dual amine functionalized 3D printed polycaprolactone/mesoporous bioactive glass based composite scaffolds with improved osteogenesis characteristics. Applied Surface Science 2025:164798.

3.Zehnder T, Freund T, Demir M, Detsch R, Boccaccini AR. Fabrication of cell-loaded two-phase 3D constructs for tissue engineering. Materials 2016; 9(11):887.