Biomimetic Layer-by-Layer Self-Assembly of Nanofilms, Nanocoatings, and 3D Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering

Abstract

Achieving surface design and control of biomaterial scaffolds with nanometer- or micrometer-scaled functional films is critical to mimic the unique features of native extracellular matrices, which has significant technological implications for tissue engineering including cell-seeded scaffolds, microbioreactors, cell assembly, tissue regeneration, etc. Compared with other techniques available for surface design, layer-by-layer (LbL) self-assembly technology has attracted extensive attention because of its integrated features of simplicity, versatility, and nanoscale control. Here we present a brief overview of current state-of-the-art research related to the LbL self-assembly technique and its assembled biomaterials as scaffolds for tissue engineering. An overview of the LbL self-assembly technique, with a focus on issues associated with distinct routes and driving forces of self-assembly, is described briefly. Then, we highlight the controllable fabrication, properties, and applications of LbL self-assembly biomaterials in the forms of multilayer nanofilms, scaffold nanocoatings, and three-dimensional scaffolds to systematically demonstrate advances in LbL self-assembly in the field of tissue engineering. LbL self-assembly not only provides advances for molecular deposition but also opens avenues for the design and development of innovative biomaterials for tissue engineering.

Utilization of Carbon Nanotubes in Manufacturing of 3D Cartilage and Bone Scaffolds

“…Self-assembly is a process in which fibers arrange themselves spontaneously into fibers of the desired shape, due to intramolecular interactions. It is achieved by using particular functional motifs (e.g., amino acid sequences) [ 121 ], or chemical interactions in particular conditions (e.g., the polarity of solvent) [ 122 ]. Peptide self-assembled scaffolds have good biological activity, however, they are too brittle to carry the mechanical load as a scaffold.…”

Chitosan-Based Biomimetically Mineralized Composite Materials in Human Hard Tissue Repair

“…Layer-by-layer (LBL) assembly is a highly versatile and simple multilayer self-assembly technique, which can be used to fabricate multilayer coatings with controlled structures and compositions in a variety of biomedical applications, particularly tissue engineering [ 76 , 77 , 78 ]. In general, the LBL assembly process involves the sequential adsorption of complementary molecules on the substrate surface driven by a variety of interactions involving electrostatic interaction, hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic interaction, and van der Waals interaction [ 79 ].…”

“…The desired number of deposited layers can be obtained by repeating the above steps. Besides, many factors like the concentration, ionic strength, and pH can affect the final composition, thickness, and topography of the materials [ 78 ]. Liang et al [ 80 ] modified the surface of the electrospun cellulose acetate nanofibers with positively-charged chitosan (CS) and negatively-charged phosvitin (PV) using the LBL self-assembly technique, and then in vitro biomimetic mineralization was carried out through the incubation of the fibrous mats in a simulated body fluid (SBF) solution.…”

The Construction and Application of Three‐Dimensional Biomaterials

“…The origin of biomaterials can be traced back to as far as ancient Egypt when people created sutures from animals. With the rapid development of science and technology, biomaterials are further applied in the fields of biology, chemistry, physics, and medicine . Based on various criteria, biomaterials can be classified into different categories, such as naturally extracted biomaterials versus synthetic biomaterials and degradable biomaterials versus nondegradable biomaterials.…”