Pressure-engineered electrophoretic deposition for gentamicin loading within osteoblast-specific cellulose nanofiber scaffolds

Abstract Multi-component nanocomposite thin films (composed of cellulose nanofiber (CNF), alginate, bioglass nanoparticles (BG NPs) and gentamicin) were prepared by using cathodic electrophoretic deposition (EPD) under different isostatic pressures of 10−2 mbar (LP), atmospheric (AP), and 5 bar (HP). According to thermal gravity analysis, larger amounts of CNF and alginate could be deposited on the surface at the AP condition in comparison with the LP and HP conditions. On the other hand, higher amounts of the BG NPs could be deposited at the LP condition as compared to the other conditions. The drug (gentamicin) loading/releasing of the samples prepared at the HP condition was found to be higher than those of the samples prepared at the AP and LP conditions. The drug-releasing within the HP samples resulted in higher biocompatibility, proliferation, and bio-functionality of osteoblast cells on the thin films. The proposed HP-EPD method can promise new generations of biocompatible drug-loaded thin films with desirable features in upcoming nanomedicine.