Novel Si-O-M-C (M= Sr, Zn, and B) bioactive glasses with outstanding high temperature crystallization resistance

• Applicants: Professor Dr.-Ing. Aldo Boccaccini; Dr. Isabel Gonzalo de Juan; Privatdozent Dr. Emanuel Ionescu
• Subject Area: Biomaterials
• Term: from 2016 to 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 317658328

The aim of the present project is to systematically assess the relationship between the composition and microstructure of bioactive metal-modified silicon oxycarbide glasses (i.e., Si-M-O-C, M = Sr, Zn, B) and their behavior in different environments (water and biological fluids) in terms of degradation (kinetic of ion release), bioactivity (ability to develop a layer of hydroxyapatite) and cellular response. Preliminary in vitro experiments indicate that the targeted materials are bioactive with respect to hydroxyapatite mineralization. In addition to their bioactivity, the Si-M-O-C glasses exhibit an outstanding resistance against high-temperature crystallization processes, thus being able to keep their glassy nature upon annealing at temperatures as high as 1300 °C.Within the project, Si-M-O-C powders will be synthesized from suitable single-source precursors and subsequently processed into monoliths and coatings. Thus, detailed studies will be done on the prepared bioglass samples in order to determine the hydroxyapatite mineralization onto the surface of Si-M-O-C in simulated body fluid (SBF) as well as to assess possible cytotoxic effects of the produced bioglass particles, monoliths and coatings. The cytotoxicity tests will be based on the ISO- 10993-5 and will be extended, as appropriate and relevant for all the applications above, to determine possible necrotic and apoptotic effects of different concentrations of the different bioglass materials on cells. Moreover, careful analysis of the degradation of Si-M-O-C in water and SBF will be performed in order to attain insights about the release kinetics of different species from the glass, which are important for the hydroxyapatite mineralization and osteogenesis. The present project is expected to provide a profound understanding about the bioactivity of Si-M-O-C glasses and will allow for developing a novel type of bioactive materials with outstanding high-temperature crystallization resistance.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Co-Investigator: Professor Ralf Riedel