Synthesis and in vitro bioactivity of surfactant templated mesoporous sodium silicate glasses

We report, a novel method to prepare novel mesoporous alkali-oxide containing bioactive silicate glasses. Wormhole-like bioactive mesostructured sodium silicate glasses (MSSGs) with different compositions have been synthesised by acid assisted sol–gel method followed by evaporation induced self assembly (EISA) process using non-ionic block copolymer as structure directing agent. The MSSGs have been characterised by small-angle XRD, TEM, SEM, FTIR spectroscopy and nitrogen sorption technique before soaking in simulated body fluid (SBF). Based on the preliminary results, we have found a systematic trend between textural and structural parameters with the alkali oxide content. The glass sample with less alkali oxide content shows the high surface area and smaller pore size and vice versa suggesting that the mesoporous structure is strongly influenced by both the template and the local structural changes with the addition of alkali modifier content. Furthermore, these glasses with high textural parameters brings a new member in the family of bioactive materials as they have faster formation kinetics of apatite phase as compared to their melt derived counterparts.

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► New method for the synthesis of alkali based bioactive glasses by sol–gel process.
► Wormhole-like mesostructured alkali silicate glasses were synthesised.
► Mesoporous bioactive glasses with tunable textural properties.
► Pore size and surface area varies strongly with alkali oxide content.
► The high surface area and silanol density leads to the enhanced apatite formation ability.