Bio - Conductive Scaffold Based on Agarose - Polyaniline for Tissue Engineering

Architecting novel scaffold for tissue engineering has attracted significant attention. Biomimic scaffolds can enhance cellular activity and tissue regeneration. Conductive scaffold exhibited ameliorated regeneration and tissue repair. In this research, conductive hydrogel based on agarose/polyaniline was synthesized to evaluate hydrogel performance as a novel candidate for tissue engineering. Agarose/polyaniline was synthesized using in - situ oxidative polymerization to achieve conductive hydrogel. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) was utilized for characterization of the hydrogel. Cyclic voltammetry and conductivity measurement were applied for determining the electro - activity and hydrogel conductivity. Hydrogel conductivity was around 10 to 4 S/cm and exhibited two redox peaks attributed to electroactive transitional state around 0.8 and 0.6. Polyaniline addition to hydrogel decreased the hydrogel swelling capacity because of the hydrophobic nature of polyaniline from 60% to 30%. Cell viability test revealed that the conductive substrate enhanced cellular proliferation. Agarose/polyaniline can be widely utilized in tissue engineering because of adjustable swelling behavior and conductivity, which can affect cellular activity and regeneration.