A novel strategy for fast and facile synthesis of bioactive bredigite nanoparticles using microwave-assisted method

Abstract

Bredigite (Ca7MgSi4O16) is a calcium silicate-based ceramic with superior bioactivity. Microwave-assisted technique was successfully utilized for the synthesis of pure bredigite nanoparticles. Microwave-assisted synthesis considerably decreases the crystallization temperature of bredigite compound, compared to conventional sol–gel method, and consequently reduces the particle size of final product to nanometer scale. The results confirmed the successful synthesis of pure bredigite powder with cuboidal shape and average particle size of ∼40 nm. The particle-size distribution was within the range of 20–60 nm. The in-vitro bioactivity evaluation revealed that a fully covered apatite layer formed on the fabricated bredigite disc after 14 days of immersion in the simulated body fluid (SBF) at 37.5 °C; this endorsed its excellent bioactivity. In addition, the bredigite nanoparticles exhibited no cytotoxicity and enhanced cell proliferation at 7 days of culture, showing similar cell viability to the control group. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) indicated that the cells spread over the surface after 1 day of culture, and the attached cells demonstrated a high tendency for cross-linking to adjacent cells across the whole surface of the sample. The excellent biological performance of the fabricated bredigite confirms its superior capability for the usage in biomedical applications. Hence, the developed strategy for the synthesis of bredigite nanoparticle is unique, fast, facile, low energy consuming, and offers high purity nanoscale products.