Enhanced Mechanical Strength and Controlled Degradation of PLA/ZnO Nanoparticle Composites for Biodegradable Implants

The investigation has been carried out for the interaction of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles, specifically nanospheres and nanorods, into biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) for biomedical applications. Structural characterization using the energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) as well as X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed the successful integration of ZnO nanoparticles into the PLA matrix. Mechanical results showed that PLA/ZnO nanosphere composites exhibit superior tensile properties (25.20[Formula: see text]MPa) compared to PLA/ZnO nanorods (22.98[Formula: see text]MPa). Degradation results showed that ZnO incorporation, irrespective of morphology, accelerated the degradation rate of PLA (2.972%, 13.480%, 9.965% for PLA, PLA/ZnO nanosphere and PLA/ZnO nanorods, respectively). Cytotoxicity assessments showed no toxic behavior in either composite, confirming that adding ZnO does not compromise cell viability. These findings suggest that PLA/ZnO composites exhibit significant potential for biomedical applications, offering enhanced mechanical performance, controlled degradation and biocompatibility.