Sol-gel quaternary bioactive glass scaffold for bone repair
Bioactive glass of the quaternary system; SiO2ÂÂNa2OÂÂCaOÂÂP2O5 similar to 45S5 Bioglass® was prepared using solÂÂgel chemistry from fused silica sand. The monolith was sintered at 950 oC before subjecting to immersion in simulated body fluid (SBF). The sintered monolith and immersion specimen were characterised by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The density of the as-sintered glass was 1.056 g/cm3 and porosity 61%. Immersion study of the glass monolith in simulated body fluid confirmed steady change in pH of the SBF solution, increase in Ca, P and C on the surface of the monolith, with corresponding decrease in Si attributed to the formation of carbonated hydroxyapatite (HCA). The compositionally controlled glass material prepared shows promise as a candidate scaffold material for bone tissue engineering.