Graphene-Alumina Nanocomposites with Improved Mechanical Properties for Biomedical Applications.

This paper presents a study on graphene platelet (GPL)-reinforced alumina (Al2O3) ceramic composites and the relationships between the loading of GPL and both mechanical properties and in vitro biocompatibility. Al2O3 powders with different GPL contents were prepared and sintered using a gas protected pressure-less furnace. The examination of the results shows the density of the composites varying from 99.2% to 95.6% with the loading of GPL from 0.75 to 1.48 vol %. Raman studies show that moderate agglomerations of GPLs occur during the ball milling process and graphitic defects were produced during the high temperature processing. Mechanical properties of the Al2O3 matrix are significantly improved by adding GPLs. A maximum increase of approximately 60% in flexural strength and 70% in fracture toughness are achieved by introducing 0.75 vol % GPLs. In the biocompatibility tests, it was found that cells directly seeding on top of GPL/Al2O3 samples showed better initial attachment (3 h after seeding) and vi...