Preparation of collagen/carboxylated graphene oxide nanofibrous membranes by electrospinning and their hemocompatibilities

Collagen (Col)-based nanofibrous membranes display promising potential in tissue engineering, wound healing, and drug delivery system. However, the low mechanical strength and rapid degradation greatly limit their practical application. In this work, Col/carboxylated graphene oxide (cGO) nanofibrous membranes were successfully prepared by electrospinning. The surface carboxylated modification ofGOnanosheets was crucial to obtain uniform Col/cGO nanofibers. The Col/cGO nanofibrous membranes were characterised by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Mechanical tests and the hemolysis rate test were also carried out on these Col/cGO nanofibrous membranes. The addition of cGO not only significantly improved the mechanical properties of membranes, but also enhanced the water absorption. The elastic modulus and hardness of Col/cGO nanofibrous membrane increased by up to 2.4 times and 1.5 times compared with that of pure Col membrane. Meanwhile, the water absorption by Col/cGO nanofibrous membrane was up to approximately 502.2 +/- 30.6%. Furthermore, the hemolysis test using the extracts demonstrates the good hemocompatibility of Col/cGO nanofibrous membranes. These results pave the way for biomedical applications of Col/cGO nanofibrous membranes.