Synthesis and Characterization of a Pla Scaffold with Pseudoboehmite and Graphene Oxide Nanofillers Added.

Abstract

In cases of severe injuries or burns, skin grafts (scaffolds) are often required as skin substitutes. In order not to harm the patient or the donor, biodegradable and biocompatible materials are used, which validates the search for heterografts such as poly (L-lactic acid)-PLA. However, natural polymers applied to the skin suffer great degradation in environments with large amounts of carbon and water or via binders with considerable resistivity, which implies little durability due to their low ductility. For the proposal, this work investigates PLA-based scaffolds modified with a mixture of pseudoboehmite (PB) and graphene oxide (GO), produced via the sol-gel route. The nanomaterials are incorporated into the polymer at different loadings, seeking to improve mechanical and thermal properties. Analyses via SEM, EDS, and XRD confirm the presence and distribution of these fillers. Tensile and flexural tests indicate that adding the filler can increase stress resistance, prevent deformations before failure, and increase toughness when compared to pure PLA.