In this study, we fabricated porous and low-molecular-weight graphene oxide (GO) aerogel scaffolds via a single-step chemical reduction of GO with ethylene diamine (EDA) at 95°C for 6 hours, followed by freeze-drying. The concentrations of GO (3–8 mg/ml) and EDA (20–50 µl) were optimized using Design of Experiments (DOE) to control scaffold density and porosity. The scaffold featuring 5 mg/ml GO and 30 µl EDA exhibited optimal porous architecture with interconnected pores visible in SEM analysis and a low density of approximately 13 mg/cm³. Laminin coating was applied to enhance biological functionality.
Biocompatibility was confirmed using MTT assays with L929 fibroblast cells, showing 124% cell viability after 72 hours, indicating no cytotoxicity and even promotion of cell proliferation. P19 mouse embryonal carcinoma cells cultured on these scaffolds successfully differentiated into neural cells, as evidenced by the expression of microtubule-associated protein-2 (MAP-2) confirmed via immunofluorescence staining. Quantitatively, neural differentiation efficiency on the scaffold reached approximately 80%, significantly higher compared to controls.
These results demonstrate that the developed GO aerogel scaffold possesses suitable mechanical properties, porosity, and bioactivity to support neural cell adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation. The scaffold’s tunable density and porosity via GO and EDA concentrations provide a controllable microenvironment for neural tissue engineering applications. Future work will explore in vivo regenerative potential and electrical conductivity integration to further enhance nerve tissue repair.