Published online by Cambridge University Press: 08 October 2015
The aim of this preliminary study was to adapt Layer-by-Layer (LbL) assembly to fabricate nanocomposite coatings onto open-cell porous structures, enabling customization of mechanical properties and porosity to obtain materials suitable for bone tissue scaffold applications. LbL assembly is a well-established method for fabricating multilayer films with nanometre scale precision over thickness that is based on electrostatic attractions and involves the adsorption of oppositely charged electrolytes onto a substrate. Using LbL assembly, polymer-nanoclay composite coatings were deposited onto open-cell foam substrates. The elastic modulus of coated specimens in compression was improved from 0.078 MPa to 1.736 MPa. The results suggest that polymer-nanoclay coatings deposited via LbL assembly have the potential to improve mechanical properties of porous substrates and fabricate materials with mechanical properties comparable to that of a cancellous bone tissue upon deposition of a sufficient number of multilayers.