Thermoplastic Polyurethane/Chitosan Hybrid Scaffolds Reinforced with Ag‑rGO and MWCNTs via Glutaraldehyde Crosslinking for Cardiac Tissue Engineering

Myocardial infarction (MI) remains a leading cause of mortality worldwide due to the limited regenerative capacity of cardiomyocytes. Cardiac tissue engineering has emerged as a promising strategy for myocardial repair through the development of functional biomaterial scaffolds. In this study, electroconductive thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU)/chitosan (Cs) scaffolds reinforced with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and silver-reduced graphene oxide (Ag-rGO) were fabricated for cardiac tissue engineering applications. Scaffold physicochemical properties were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), contact angle analysis, and electrical resistance measurements, while biocompatibility was evaluated using the MTT assay with human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). The MTT results indicated that incorporating ۰.۲۵ wt% glutaraldehyde (GTA) as a cross-linking agent resulted in favorable cell viability. Furthermore, assessment of TPU/Cs scaffolds containing individual conductive nanomaterials demonstrated that the MWCNTs (۳۰–۵۰ nm) and Ag‑rGO (۰.۰۱ g) were optimal cell viability. Additionally, adding these optimized concentrations of nanomaterials to GTA cross-linked TPU/Cs scaffolds not only further increased cell viability, but also reduced electrical resistance and improved surface hydrophilicity. SEM images confirmed a uniform distribution of nanomaterials within the polymer matrix and revealed a dense, non-porous scaffold structure. Overall, these findings suggest that combining controlled cross-linking with conductive nanomaterials provides an effective strategy for developing polymeric scaffolds suitable for cardiac tissue engineering.

کلیدواژه ها:

Cardiac Tissue Engineering ، Thermoplastic polyurethane ، Chitosan ، Multi-walled carbon nanotubes ، Silver-reduced graphene oxide