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. 2020 Jan-Feb;23(1):15-20.
doi: 10.4103/JCD.JCD_274_20. Epub 2020 Oct 10.

The effect of adding graphene oxide nanoplatelets to Portland cement: Potential for dental applications

Abubaker S Qutieshat  1   2 , Ahmad S Al-Hiyasat  1 , Mohammad R Islam  2
Affiliations

The effect of adding graphene oxide nanoplatelets to Portland cement: Potential for dental applications

Abubaker S Qutieshat et al. J Conserv Dent. 2020 Jan-Feb.

Abstract

Background: The potential of graphene-based materials to improve the physiomechanical properties of Portland cement-based materials without compromising biocompatibility is of interest to dental researchers and remains to be discovered.

Aim: This study investigated the effects of adding graphene oxide nanoplatelets (GONPs) on the surface microhardness and biocompatibility of Portland cement.

Materials and methods: Three prototype Portland cement powder formulations were prepared by adding 0, 1, and 3 wt % GONPs in powder form to Portland cement. Prototype cement specimens were in the form of disks, with a diameter of 10 mm and a thickness of 2 mm. In experiment 1, surface microhardness was measured using the through indenter viewing hardness tester, 20 surface hardness values were obtained from all specimens. In experiment 2, Balb/C 3T3 fibroblasts were cultured with the material disks and the viability of cells was evaluated using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay.

Statistical analysis: The data were analyzed using the analysis of variance followed by Dunnett test (α = 0.05) or Tukey test (α = 0.05).

Results: In response to material disks, the addition of 1 wt % GONPs had a proliferative effect on cells at day 3 and day 7 with a significant difference from the control. The addition of 3 wt % GONPs showed a remarkable increase in surface microhardness; however, it exhibited initial cytotoxicity.

Conclusions: The addition of 1 wt % GONPs to Portland cement improved surface microhardness without compromising biocompatibility; therefore, it has a greater potential for dental applications. The results of this work give other researchers leads in future assessments of this prototype material.

Keywords: Biocompatibility; fibroblasts; graphene; hardness; nanoplatelets.

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Conflict of interest statement

There are no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
(a) Mean hardness values of the three Portland cement formulations. Bars carrying the asterisk sign (*) are significantly different from other groups at P < 0.05. (b) Vickers diamond indentations into the surfaces of the three Portland cement formulations
Figure 2
Figure 2
(a) Percentage of cell viability (mean ± standard deviation) relative to the control (100% viability) over 1, 3 and 7 days upon exposure to material disks. Bars carrying the asterisk sign (*) are significantly different from the control at P < 0.05. Bars carrying the double-asterisk sign (**) are significantly different from each other at P < 0.05. (b) Photomicrographs were taken of close and remote areas around the material specimen (adjacent to disk, away from disk at day 1, 3 and 7
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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