Synthesis and in vitro investigation of sol-gel derived bioglass-58S nanopowders

The aim of this research is the synthesis of bioglass-58S nanopowders by sol-gel method. Also, the effect of aging time of parent sols on the morphology, structure and particle size was investigated. Bioglass-58S powders were analyzed by X-ray diffraction patterns (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), zetasizer instrument, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The XRD results showed that the powder is amorphous and glassy. According to FTIR spectroscopy, silicate bonds were formed in all powders. Zetasizer curves proved that the particle sizes of the powders and agglomerates have increased with aging time. The SEM images confirmed these results, too. Additionally, the TEM observations revealed that the increase of aging time caused the growth of grains with the size between 50-200 nm. The in vitro biological behavior of bioglass-58S powders were investigated by immersing the bioglass discs (made from the powders) in the simulated body fluid (SBF). The XRD patterns and SEM images confirmed the formation of the hydroxyapatite (HA) phase.