Mechanical properties and cytotoxicity of nanoplate-like hydroxyapatite/polylactide nanocomposites prepared by intercalation technique

Hydroxyapatite (HAp) in the forms of fiber, needle, and whisker has been employed as fillers in polymer composites. Herein, nanoplate-like HAp synthesized by template-assisted self-assembly was used to reinforce polylactide (PLA) nanocomposites via the solution intercalation method. Dynamic and static mechanical properties and cytotoxicity of the as-prepared HAp/PLA nanocomposites were assessed in addition to characterizations by XRD, FTIR, and TGA. XRD analysis confirms the formation of exfoliated structure in the HAp/PLA nanocomposites. The HAp/PLA nanocomposites exhibit better static and dynamic mechanical properties than unreinforced PLA. Furthermore, the HAp/PLA nanocomposite with an optimum HAp content of 20wt% (20HAp/PLA) demonstrates not only the best mechanical performance but also the highest thermal stability among the nanocomposite samples. Cell studies using a mouse fibroblast cell line (L929) suggest that 20HAp/PLA shows excellent biocompatibility, which makes it a promising material for biomedical applications.