Preparation and characterization of electrospun graphene/silk fibroin conductive fibrous scaffolds

Electroactive scaffolds which can carry electrical stimulation to the cells growing on them have attracted more and more attention in recent years. In this study, a conductive fibrous scaffold made of silk fibroin (SF) and graphene was developed using electrospinning techniques. The chemical structural characterization of the obtained scaffolds confirmed the presence of graphene in the fibrous scaffolds. The surface morphologies, mechanical and electrochemical properties and cytocompatibility of the scaffolds were evaluated. The average diameters of the G/SF fibrous scaffolds increased with the addition of graphene until the content of graphene reached 4%. The G/SF scaffolds exhibited improved thermal stability with the addition of graphene, which confirmed that they were more crystalline than pure SF scaffolds. The 3% G/SF fibrous scaffolds showed improved electroactivity and mechanical properties. In addition, they could support the growth and expansion of rat bone mesenchymal stem cells (rBMSCs) based on cell morphology, viability and proliferation studies in vitro. Thus, all the data in this study suggested that the 3% G/SF scaffolds might represent an adequate substrate to successfully scaffold electroactive tissue during regeneration or engineering.