A multiscale investigation of mechanical properties of bio-inspired scaffolds

Abstract

Finding a structural design which allows the scaffold to have a high porosity and large pore size while retaining high strength is essential. Here, a bio-inspired scaffold is designed based on the observed geometrical pattern of the apatite atomic crystal structure, and mechanical properties are compared with other common scaffold geometries. The bio-inspired scaffold design is proven superior using a multiscale computational approach, which combines density functional theory and finite element analysis to predict the stress reaction and substitution effects on the scaffolds. This study provides insight into better scaffold design using bio-inspired structures and the effect of substitutions.

Keywords:

• Bio-inspired scaffolds
• anionic and cationic substitutions
• apatite crystals
• multi-scale modeling

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the support from Arkansas High Performance Computing Center.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

The authors acknowledge the support provided by the Center for Advanced Surface Engineering from National Science Foundation Grant [No. OIA 1457888] and the Arkansas EPSCoR Program.