Abstract
Alkoxysilane precursors are the most widely used silica source for sol–gel preparation of silicate-based bioactive glass. However, due to their high cost, alternative sources such as bentonite clay are desirable. In the present work, bentonite clay was reacted with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) to extract sodium metasilicate (Na2SiO3). The obtained Na2SiO3 was converted to gel which was then sintered at 950 ℃ for 3 h to give the bioactive glass in the quaternary composition SiO2–NaO–CaO–P2O5. The resulting glass was incubated in simulated body fluid (SBF) for 0–7 days to evaluate the bioactivity. Furthermore, glass samples were characterized before and after SBF study by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Results obtained showed the presence of Na2Ca2Si3O9 (combeite) crystal as the major crystalline phase and the formation of hydroxyapatite (HA) and hydroxycarbonated apatite (HCA) on the surface of the glass after immersion in SBF. The material showed potentials for application as scaffold in bone tissue repair.
Highlights
The interest in bioactive glass has continued to soar within the orthopaedic biomedical research community because of its ability to promote self-repair of damaged bones when used as temporary scaffold in vivo
The unique capability of bioactive glass over other bioceramics includes amongst others the ability to form hydroxyapatite (HA) on the surface when immersed in physiological environment [5,6]
The highly bioactive glass in quaternary composition has been prepared starting with bentonite clay as silica source instead of conventional alkoxysilane precursors
Summary
The interest in bioactive glass has continued to soar within the orthopaedic biomedical research community because of its ability to promote self-repair of damaged bones when used as temporary scaffold in vivo. The “gold standard” for bone treatment involves autograft and allograft transplantation. These methods have severe limitations and impose high cost on the health care system. The unique capability of bioactive glass over other bioceramics includes amongst others the ability to form hydroxyapatite (HA) on the surface when immersed in physiological environment [5,6]. This is beneficial because of the similarity in chemical composition of HA to bone and facilitates the bonding between the material and bone [7]. It has been reported that seven families of genes are up-regulated by the ionic dissolution products from www.springer.com/journal/40145
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