Physico-chemical characterization of collagen scaffolds for tissue engineering

The objective was to research the physical and chemical properties of collagen scaffolds (CS) obtained from bone matrix Nukbone® subject to a demineralization process using hydrochloric acid. The CS samples were characterized by optical and scanning electron microscopy, elemental chemical analysis, X-ray diffraction, spectroscopy Infrared, thermal analysis, differential scanning calorimetry and nitrogen adsorption. The microanalysis were used to set the macro- and microstructures of CS. They showed that the CS retained the morphology of Nukbone® with interconnected pores and their size between 100 and 500μm, and it is composed of 20% by weight of HA and the rest is collagen type I. By infrared spectroscopy the functional groups of collagen type I (amide A – 3285, B – 2917, I – 1633, II – 1553 and III – 1239cm−1) were identified. By thermal analysis it was determined that the phenomenon of denaturation of the collagen type I began in the range of 75–85°C and burned above 200°C.