Reinforcing 13–93 bioglass scaffolds fabricated by robocasting and pressureless spark plasma sintering with graphene oxide.

Abstract 13-93 bioglass (BG) scaffolds reinforced with graphene oxide (GO) were fabricated by robocasting (direct-ink-writing) technique. Composite scaffolds with 0–4 vol% content of GO platelets were printed, and then consolidated by pressureless spark plasma sintering at 650 °C. It was found that, despite hampering densification of the bioglass, the addition of GO platelets up to a certain content enhanced the mechanical performance of the 13–93 bioglass scaffolds in terms of strength and, especially, toughness. Best performance was obtained for 2 vol.% GO, which increased strain energy density (toughness) of the scaffolds by ∼894%, and their compressive strength by ∼26%. At higher contents, agglomeration of the nanoplatelets and increased porosity significantly reduced the mechanical enhancement obtained. Implications of the results on the fabrication of novel bioglass scaffolds that may find use in load-bearing bone tissue engineering applications are discussed.