Carbon Nanotubes Application in Polymer-Based Scaffolds

The carbon nanotubes (CNTs) including the single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs)and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) have the desirable properties andhigh capacity for application in tissue engineering and scaffolding. However, the scopeof their efficiency and quality enhancement in the CNT-polymer composites is wide open.The inherent capability of CNTs in facilitating the cellular growth could reflect the threedimensionalscaffolds with the polymer surfaces, affecting the ultimate cultivation for thetissue regeneration of electroactive cells. The polymers make the CNTs more efficient andmodify the scaffolds' characteristics. In the current paper, the features of CNT, involved inscaffolds performance, which have been modified through natural polymers and synthesizedpolymers including conductive, dielectric, and manipulated polymers and the polymercomposites are reviewed. The combination of CNTs and different types of polymersimproved the scaffolds' characteristics such as mechanical and electrical properties,biodegradability, structure, porosity, toxicity, etc. Each polymer type in influencing thecharacteristics of CNT-incorporated scaffolds and the preparation method of respectivescaffolds improved some features and enhanced the quality of polymer-based scaffolds.