Fabrication of polyaniline nanofiber arrays on poly(etheretherketone) to induce enhanced biocompatibility and controlled behaviours of mesenchymal stem cells

Abstract

As a typical conducting material, polyaniline (PANI) has been processed into various nanostructured materials that have been applied in fields including fuel cells, smart materials and anticorrosive coatings. However, few studies have investigated the properties of PANI nanostructures as biointerfaces. Herein, we developed a controlled and stable PANI nanostructured interface on high-performance poly(etheretherketone) (PEEK) surfaces utilizing the self-initiation of PEEK to graft poly(acrylic acid) (PAAc) interlayers and the in situ diluted polymerization of PANI. The prepared PANI nanofiber array surfaces produced chemical factor and nanocue coeffects enabling PEEK to possess enhanced biocompatibility and controlled cell behaviours with nanosensitivity. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was adopted to characterize the bioadhesion of a simulated protein particle/single cell to various substrates. The cell behaviours of rat mesenchymal stem cells (rMSCs) on PANI and PEEK surfaces were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and immunofluorescence. The PANI-grafted PEEK surfaces have enhanced biocompatibilities and controlled nanocues to mediate the behaviours of MSCs.