Bioinspired PEEK/Bioactive Glass/β-TCP Hybrid Composites With Nano-HA Coatings: Interfacial Apatite Nucleation, Wettability Tuning, and In Vitro Bioactivity for Load-Bearing Bone Repair
Jul 2026· Engineering and Technology Journal· 0 citations
TL;DR
The developed PEEK/bioactive glass/β -TCP/nano-HA composite demonstrates strong potential for next-generation load-bearing implants, offering enhanced osseointegration, improved surface bioactivity, and balanced antibacterial performance while retaining favorable mechanical characteristics.
Abstract
This study addresses the longstanding challenge of balancing mechanical performance and biological activity in load-bearing bone regeneration. A multifunctional composite was developed based on polyetheretherketone (PEEK) reinforced with bioactive glass fibers and β -tricalcium phosphate (β -TCP), followed by surface functionalization using nano-hydroxyapatite (nano-HA) coating. Structural and spectroscopic analyses confirmed preservation of the PEEK molecular backbone and stable incorporation of ceramic phases. At the same time, the nano-HA layer formed a biomimetic hierarchical interface resembling natural bone mineral. Quantitatively, the modified composite exhibited a marked improvement in surface wettability, with a contact angle of 29.83°, indicating excellent hydrophilicity relative to pristine PEEK. In simulated body fluid (SBF), rapid and sustained apatite formation was observed, confirming high in vitro bioactivity. Biological evaluation demonstrated controlled ion release behavior that effectively inhibited bacterial growth while maintaining mammalian cell viability. In addition, the composite exhibited a suitable density of about 1.22 g/cm3, which is close to the reference value of the density of the bone cement composites used in orthopedic applications. Additionally, a controlled coating thickness was about 58.32 micrometres supported structural stability and ensured effective and homogeneous surface coverage Overall, the developed PEEK/bioactive glass/β -TCP/nano-HA composite demonstrates strong potential for next-generation load-bearing implants, offering enhanced osseointegration, improved surface bioactivity, and balanced antibacterial performance while retaining favorable mechanical characteristics.
Objectives: The development of biomaterials for bone tissue engineering requires a combination of suitable mechanical properties, bioactivity, and cytocompatibility. In this study, photocrosslinked polymer-ceramic composites based on poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP), poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), and pullulan were developed and reinforced with dicalcium phosphate dihydrate (DCPD, brushite) to obtain bioactive materials with enhanced biological performance. Methods: DCPD was synthesized via a wet precipitation method and incorporated into polymer matrices through UV-induced photopolymerization. The resulting composites were characterized in terms of swelling behavior, hardness, degradation in physiological conditions, surface morphology, and biological response. Cytocompatibility was assessed using direct and indirect cytotoxicity assays, proliferation studies, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) evaluation of MC3T3-E1 preosteoblast adhesion and morphology. Results: The composition of the polymer matrix significantly affected the physicochemical properties of the materials. Increased PVP content resulted in higher hardness and more developed surface morphology, whereas DCPD incorporation reduced swelling and increased surface roughness. All materials exhibited satisfactory cytocompatibility, with cell viability remaining above the threshold specified by ISO 10993-5. Proliferation studies demonstrated progressive cell growth over time, particularly on DCPD-containing composites. SEM observations confirmed successful cell attachment and favorable cell-material interactions, with the most pronounced response observed for balanced PVP/PEG formulations reinforced with DCPD. Conclusions: The developed PVP/PEG/pullulan-DCPD composites demonstrated promising physicochemical and biological properties and may serve as preliminary bone-facing materials for future osteochondral tissue engineering applications. Further studies are required to investigate their osteogenic potential and long-term biological performance.
Karina Niziołek, Dagmara Słota, Katarzyna Haraźna et al.· European Cells & Materia...· 0 citations
OBJECTIVE
Carbon fiber-reinforced polyetheretherketone (CF/PEEK) possesses the elastic modulus similar to that of natural bone, yet its inherent surface hydrophobicity and bio-inertness restrict its application in oral implantation. To overcome this limitation, this study proposes the layer-by-layer surface functionalization strategy to construct the multifunctional CF/PEEK-based composite that integrates long-term antibacterial activity with synergistic osteogenic functions.
METHODS
After sulfonation of CF/PEEK with 98% H₂SO₄, the polydopamine-assisted nanohydroxyapatite (PDA-nHA) intermediate layer and the zinc-loaded carboxymethyl chitosan (Zn/CMCS) coating were sequentially constructed, yielding the SCP-PHA-Zn/CMCS composite. A series of Characterizations including surface morphology, in vitro mineralization, antibacterial evaluation, cytocompatibility, osteogenic property, and osteogenesis-related gene mRNA expression levels were performed to assess in vitro biocompatibility and osteogenic performance.
RESULTS
SEM showed SCP-PHA-Zn/CMCS possessed the 3D porous network, with uniformly deposited PDA-nHA presenting a fibrous network after Zn-CMCS wrapping. After SBF immersion, spherical apatite particles deposited on all samples. Water contact angles of SCP-PHA and SCP-PHA-Zn/CMCS were significantly lower than SCF/PEEK. SCP-PHA-Zn/CMCS significantly inhibited Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. All groups showed good biocompatibility and long-term biosafety. rBMSCs on SCP-PHA-Zn/CMCS showed the highest adhesion density, proliferation, ALP activity, matrix mineralization, and osteogenesis-related gene mRNA expression levels, significantly outperforming the other groups and demonstrating the best in vitro osteogenic capacity.
CONCLUSION
To address the surface hydrophobicity and bioinertia of CF/PEEK, this study successfully constructed the multifunctional SCP-PHA-Zn/CMCS composite using sulfonation pretreatment and the layer-by-layer functionalization assembly strategy. The obtained material exhibited favorable physicochemical properties, excellent biocompatibility and antibacterial performance, and significantly promoted the adhesion and proliferation of rBMSCs, enhanced ALP activity, matrix mineralization, and osteogenesis-related gene mRNA expression levels, demonstrating outstanding in vitro osteogenic capacity. These findings provide experimental evidence and a novel design strategy for the clinical translation of CF/PEEK in oral implantation and bone defect repair.
Unknown authors· International Dental Journal· 0 citations
The developed scaffold showed higher cell viability value than control groups than control groups, and confirmed cells proliferation potential of the scaffold at prolonged times, and future studies should explore in vivo performance and long-term functionality of the scaffold.
Ali Khalaji, Soheila Zare, Faranak Aghaz et al.· Scientific Reports· 0 citations
Osteochondral defects have become a common clinical problem. The cartilage-bone interface is complex, and regenerative biomaterials are limited. This is the first study to integrate Continuous plastic flow synthesis (CPFS) derived Zn-doped hydroxyapatite into an electrospun PVA nanofibrous membrane for osteochondral repair. Combined structural and spectroscopic analysis revealed a preserved apatite lattice after zinc integration, with a strong inorganic-polymeric interfacial interaction. The fabricated membrane exhibited smooth nanofibers with an average diameter of 272 ± 2.21 nm, in which Zn-HA was uniformly dispersed. The nanofibrous membrane exhibited considerably better antibacterial efficacy against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa than Zn-HA. In vitro results confirmed good viability of osteoblasts. In vivo assessment in an osteochondral defect model revealed nearly complete defect repair after 8 weeks, with well-organized trabecular bone formation and restoration of the bone-cartilage structure without a significant inflammatory response. Collectively, these findings reveal synergistic osteoregenerative and antibacterial activity, suggesting that the nanofibrous membrane may serve as a potential material for osteochondral tissue engineering.
Sadaf Ameen, Aneela Anwar, Javeria Zahid et al.· European Journal of Pharmace...· 0 citations
The bioactive chitosan/Mg-HAp nanocomposite scaffold effectively promotes bone regeneration by enhancing osteogenic signaling pathways and exhibits strong potential for bone tissue engineering applications.
S.M. Hefzollesan, H. Musayeva, Hamed Aghazadeh et al.· Emergent Materials· 0 citations
Overall, PTB4 achieved the best balance among printability, mechanical compatibility, cytocompatibility, angiogenesis-related activity, and osteogenic performance, supporting low-dose BT modification as a promising strategy for safe, printable scaffolds for critical-size craniofacial and oral bone defect repair.
