Cotton-wool-like borosilicate glass fibers for tissue regeneration: Preparation, characterization and in vitro bioactivity

Abstract

Borosilicate (60SiO2-20CaO-16B2O3-4P2O5) glass fibers (BSGF) were fabricated by electrospinning in combination with sol-gel processing. BSGF were calcined at 600, 700 and 800 °C to remove the polymeric binder and optimize the formation of the inorganic phase. HCA (hydroxycarbonate apatite) was formed on BSGF within 24h of immersion in simulated body fluid (SBF), which was confirmed by XRD and FTIR analyses. In vitro cytotoxicity was measured with mouse osteoblast and fibroblast cell lines. WST-8 assay and fluorescence images confirmed the non-cytotoxic nature of the BSGF which did not induce any adverse effect on the cell activity.

Keywords

• Bioactive glass
• Electrospinning
• Sol-gel