Novel Multicomponent and Biocompatible Nanocomposite Materials Based on Few-Layer Graphenes Synthesized on a Gold/Hydroxyapatite Catalytic System with Applications in Bone Regeneration

We present the synthesis of few-layer graphenes over a novel Au/hydroxyapatite catalytic system by radio-frequency chemical vapor deposition, with acetylene and methane as the carbon sources. The synthesis time was found to influence linearly the dimensions of the graphitic layers and asymptotically their corresponding thermal decomposition temperature. The resulting multicomponent nanocomposite material formed out of graphene layers, Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) supported on the surface of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles, was found to have good biocompatibility and induce excellent bone cellular proliferation. Such multicomponent composites could find numerous applications in the area of bone regeneration given the excellent biocompatibility, 3D structure, and unique composition.