Structure, morphology and bioactivity of bioactive glass derived xerogel and aerogel

Abstract EN

Xerogel and aerogel ternary bioactive glasses (SiO2-CaO-P2O5) have been prepared by sol-gel method.

The xerogel bioactive glass was synthesized by heating a solution of precursors in ethanol at 60 °C and dried at 130 oC.

Whereas, the aerogel bioactive glass was prepared by autoclaving an identical solution at supercritical conditions of ethanol solvent (BG-AGE) and the final products were sintered at 600 oC.

Moreover, the influence of two solvents acetone and methanol on the structure and morphology of the aerogel bioactive glasses was also studied.

After the synthesis of bioactive glasses powders, the bioactivity test was performed; their structure and morphology were distinguished by different analysis methods XRD, FTIR and SEM – EDS.

The XRD analysis showed the amorphous structure of the powders before the immersion in SBF solution and the crystal structure of hydroxyapatite after one day of immersion for aerogels bioactive glass and three days for xerogel bioactive glass.

The EDS analysis showed the presence of Si, Ca and P component of the bioactive glasses and in the SBF solution the Si decreased and the Ca and P increased according to the period of immersion which improves the formation of an apatite layer.