Quenched/unquenched nano bioactive glass-ceramics: Synthesis and in vitro bioactivity evaluation in Ringer’s solution with BSA

Abstract

The paper reports the first attempt at changing cooling treatment of synthesizing method in order to investigate its effect on the physical properties of sol-gel derived nano bioactive glass-ceramic in the system 58SiO2-33CaO-9P2O5 (wt.%). We hypothesized that the method of cooling may affect the properties of nano bioactive glass-ceramic. To test this hypothesis, two different method of cooling treatment was applied after calcinations in synthesizing method. Both quenched and unquenched nano bioactive glass-ceramics were soaked in Ringer’s solution with bovine serum albumin (BSA) for bioactivity evaluation. The obtained samples were analyzed for their composition, crystalinity and morphology through X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), surface electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The SEM images showed that the morphology of nano bioactive glass-ceramics was completely changed by quenching process. Results of in vitro bioactivity evaluation revealed that the unquenched attains faster apatite formation ability than the quenched sample. Other properties of these two morphologically different nano bioactive glass-ceramics were strongly discussed.

Keywords

• sol-gel processes
• glass ceramics
• cooling treatment
• bovine serum albumin
• biomedical applications