Influence of textural properties on biomineralization behavior of mesoporous bioactive glasses

Abstract A new method of calcination for the sol-gel derived bioactive glass sample has been developed to produce superior textural and bioactive properties. Based on this method, mesoporous 67.4 SiO2-25 Na2O-5 CaO- 2.6 P2O5 (mol.%) bioactive glasses (MBGs) have been synthesized through acid assisted sol-gel technique followed by evaporation induced self-assembly (EISA) process, commonly used for obtaining bioactive glasses. Moreover, the use of microwave irradiation has been compared with that of conventional heat treatment for a particular quaternary composition,which has allowed the homogeneous spatial distribution of heat and to obtain smaller, uniform pore sizes with high surface area. The distinctions between the two methods of calcination have been observed in the structural, morphology and textural characteristics. The superior textural characteristics have allowed the rapid dissolution of MBGs followed by development of nanocrystalline hydroxycarbonate apatite (HCA) layer. In vitro bioactive analyses on both MBGs have revealed a rapid formation HCA layer with distinct behavior on the biomineralization process. The difference in the behavior of biomineralization process is attributed to the kinetics of supersaturation of the biological medium.