Frontiers in Materials (Jun 2020)

Interfacial Self-Assembly to Spatially Organize Graphene Oxide Into Hierarchical and Bioactive Structures

  • Anna Majkowska,
  • Anna Majkowska,
  • Anna Majkowska,
  • Carlos Redondo-Gómez,
  • Carlos Redondo-Gómez,
  • Alistair Rice,
  • Mariel Gonzalez,
  • Karla E. Inostroza-Brito,
  • Estelle C. Collin,
  • Jose Carlos Rodriguez-Cabello,
  • Armando E. Del Rio Hernandez,
  • Egle Solito,
  • Alvaro Mata,
  • Alvaro Mata,
  • Alvaro Mata,
  • Alvaro Mata,
  • Alvaro Mata

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fmats.2020.00167
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 7

Abstract

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Multicomponent self-assembly holds great promise for the generation of complex and functional biomaterials with hierarchical microstructure. Here, we describe the use of supramolecular co-assembly between an elastin-like recombinamer (ELR5) and a peptide amphiphile (PA) to organize graphene oxide (GO) flakes into bioactive structures across multiple scales. The process takes advantage of a reaction—diffusion mechanism to enable the incorporation and spatial organization of GO within multiple ELR5/PA layers. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and ImageJ software were used to demonstrate the hierarchical organization of GO flakes within the ELR5/PA layers and the distribution profiles of GO throughout the ELR5/PA membranes. Furthermore, atomic force microscopy (AFM) revealed improved Young's Moduli of the ELR5/PA/GO membranes compared to the ELR5/PA membranes. Lastly, we investigated biocompatibility of the ELR5/PA/GO membrane via various cell culture methods.

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