Bioactivity behavior of Ag2O or CuO doped in glass systems of Na2O–CaF2–P2O5 and Na2O–CaO–P2O5 and their glass–ceramic derivatives assessed by FTIR, X-ray diffraction and SEM measurements

Abstract

Glasses from the two systems (Na2O–CaF2–P2O5) and (Na2O–CaO–P2O5) doped with 0.2% CuO or Ag2O were prepared by melting annealing technique. Samples from the glasses were thermally heat treated to convert them to their glass–ceramic derivatives. FTIR spectra of the glasses and glass–ceramics were examined before and after immersion in SBF for 2 weeks at 37 °C to justify the spectral changes correlated with the bioactivity behavior of the tested samples. X-ray diffraction was utilized to identify the formed crystalline phases in the glass–ceramics upon thermal heat treatment. The crystalline phases are identified to be dependent on the chemical composition of the base glass and consisting of sodium phosphate and calcium phosphate crystalline phases beside combined sodium calcium fluoride phosphate crystalline phases and the sharing of the dopants. FTIR spectra after immersion indicate the appearance of two far-IR peaks which are characteristic for calcium phosphate or hydroxyapatite. SEM investigations confirm the bioactivity behavior through the appearance of the rounded or nodular-shaped crystalline phase. The optical and PL spectra indicate the complete transparency of the glasses in the visible except of interference of UV absorption band due to trace ferric ions impurities.