In this study, we investigated preparation of gradient chitosan-matrix hydrogels through a novel freezing-gelling-thawing method. The influence of three types of graphene family materials (GFM), i.e., graphene oxide (GO), reduced graphene oxide (rGO), and poly(ethylene glycol) grafted graphene oxide (GO-PEG), as well as hydroxyapatite (HAp) on the physicochemical and biological properties of the composite hydrogels was examined in view of their potential applicability as tissue engineering scaffolds. The substrates and the hydrogel samples were thoroughly characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometry, infrared spectroscopy, digital and scanning electron microscopy, rheological and mechanical analysis, in vitro chemical stability and bioactivity assays, as well as initial cytocompatibility evaluation with human umbilical cord Wharton's jelly mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs). We followed the green-chemistry approach and avoided toxic cross-linking agents, using instead specific interactions of our polymer matrix with tannic acid, non-toxic physical cross-linker, and graphene derivatives. It was shown that the most promising are the gradient hydrogels modified with GO-PEG and HAp.
Keywords: chitosan; gradient nanocomposites; graphene family materials; hydrogels.