Synthesis and Characterization of Mesoporous SiO₂–CaO–P₂O₅ Bioactive Glass by Sol–Gel Process

Abstract

Ordered mesoporous SiO₂–CaO–P₂O₅ bioactive glass with a highly specific surface area has been synthesized through a sol–gel process in the presence of a nonionic triblock copolymer acting as a template. The amorphous silicate can be detected on the mesoporous SiO₂–CaO–P₂O₅ bioactive glass. The mesoporous SiO₂–CaO–P₂O₅ bioactive glass exhibits the type IV isotherm curve with average pore size of 5.3 nm and high specific surface area of 317.24 m²/g for calcination at 600°C. Owing to the high specific surface area and pore volume, the mesoporous SiO₂–CaO–P₂O₅ had a significantly enhanced bone-forming bioactivity compared with the conventional bioactive glass. After soaking the mesoporous SiO₂–CaO–P₂O₅ in simulated body fluid (SBF) for 10 h, it can be observed that the formation of apatite nanocrystals occurs on the surface of the bioactive glass. It is anticipated that mesoporous SiO₂–CaO–P₂O₅ with a controlled mesostructure may be potentially useful as novel tissue-engineering scaffolds in bone regeneration.