Functionalized Carbon Nanotubes: Applications in Tissue Engineering

Tissue engineering is an arrangement of bioactive molecules, cells, and scaffolds for the reconstruction of injured tissues. Functionalized carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have emerged in the present time as pioneering components for the fabrication of the next-generation scaffolds to reconstruct injured tissue. Polymer-functionalized CNTs could exhibit various properties, including higher compatibility and ability of complexation with polymer matrix, improved dispersibility in different solvents, and responsivity to environmental stimuli. Furthermore, CNTs have broadly been investigated for their potential in tissue engineering because of their exceptional mechanical, physicochemical, and thermal features as well as suitable biocompatibility. CNTs based scaffolds have acquired significant recognition because of their brilliant attributes, which offer a synthetic but feasible microenvironment for chondrogenic differentiation, and cell proliferation. In this chapter, we aim to give an overview of the structural, physicochemical characteristics along with interactions and biodegradation of CNTs-based polymeric scaffolds with the biomolecules and outline their impacts on the extracellular matrix in the regeneration of neural, cardiac, bone, and cartilage tissue engineering. This chapter also provides a current state of information accessible investigating the utilization of the polymeric composites comprising CNTs and the development of the 3D scaffolds as well as the directions of future research and challenges.