Synthesis of carbon nanostructure derivatives as fillers in scaffolds for tissue engineering

This thesis project concerns the study of chemical modification of carbon nanostructures, in particular single-walled nanohorns (SWCNH), multi-walled nanotubes (MWCNT) and single-layer graphene powder (SLGP) to be used as fillers in composites to promote cell growth and differentiation and tissue regeneration. The aim of this project is to provide a variety of functionalizations of CNS with different polarity groups, in particular benzenesulfonate, methylsulfonylbenzene, trimethylbenzeneammonium and N-(p-aminobenzoyl) glycine) groups. Pristine SWCNH and SLGP were functionalized with all these groups, instead pristine MWCNT were functionalized only with N-(p-aminobenzoyl) glycine) group, because the other functionalizations have already been performed in the previous thesis work. All the functionalizations have been carried out by using Tour reaction, a versatile and relatively fast method to attach organic groups on the surface of carbon nanostructures. On CNS derivatives Thermogravimetric analysis, Dynamic Light Scattering, Zeta Potential, UV-Vis-NIR, Raman spectroscopy and FT-IR spectroscopy were performed. Water dispersibility was estimated by using drop casting technique and the TGA instrument.