Bioactive core–shell structure of TiC/TiO₂/SrCO₃ coating on carbon black particles for bone tissue formation: Fabrication, characterization, and biological functions

Abstract

Although carbon‐based nanomaterials, such as carbon nanotubes, graphene, and carbon dots, have attracted much attention for bone tissue regeneration and engineering due to the advantages of being lightweight, mechanical stability, and remarkable ability for bone repair, their toxicity and dispersity are the most concern and greatly limiting their clinical uses. In this article, the surface modification of carbon black particles based on core–shell structure design as a promising candidate material for bone tissue engineering applications is presented. TiC/TiO2/SrCO3‐coated carbon black particles were prepared via molten salt synthesis and hydrothermal process at various temperatures to study the effects of temperature on crystal structure, morphologies, surface wettability, and biological functions. Phase composition, morphologies, and elemental distributions were studied by X‐ray diffraction, field‐emission scanning electron microscope, and energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, respectively. Cell proliferation, cell viability, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, and calcium deposition were also investigated. The investigation showed that the reaction temperature played an important role in the crystallinity, phase formation, nanotopography, and biological functions of the particles. The particles treated at 250°C offered favored surface properties of roughness, composition, crystallite size, and wettability for cell adhesion, proliferation, ALP activity, and calcium deposition. As a result, these bioactive core–shell particles would be a promising filler material for bone tissue engineering applications.