Summary: | Synthesis and use of novel compositions of bioactive glasses (BGs) for hard tissue engineering are of important significance in the biomedical field. In this study, we successfully synthesized a series of 58S-based BGs containing fluoride (F−) and silver (Ag+) ions through a sol-gel method for possible use in bone/dental regeneration and antibacterial strategies. Characterizations of samples were performed by using thermal analyses (thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC)), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), textural analysis (N2 adsorption-desorption), and morphological observations by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The obtained data revealed that the fabricated BGs are in a glassy state before incubation in the Kokubo’s simulated body fluid (SBF), and an apatite-like layer is formed on their surface after 7 days of immersion in SBF. The size of the glass particles was in the nano-range (about 100 nm or below), and their pore size was in the mesoporous range (15-25 nm). These early results suggest that the F- and Ag-doped glasses show promise as multifunctional bioactive materials for bone/dental tissue engineering.
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