The impacts of Mg2+ on strontium phosphate: A preliminary study

•SrP, SrCaP and SrMgP nanospheres were synthesized using a microwave assisted reaction system.•The incorporation of Mg to SrP makes it amorphous.•The presence of Mg accelerates the degradation of SrP.•Mg2+ is observed to reduce the toxicity of excessive Sr2+in vitro.

This work is a preliminary attempt to evaluate the effects of adding magnesium (Mg) on the properties of nanocrystalline strontium phosphates (SrP). A series of Sr containing phosphates nanospheres were synthesized using a microwave assisted technique. The as-prepared nanoparticles were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results show that incorporation of Mg2+ into SrP can significantly change its crystallinity and physical features. The in vitro degradation study shows the presence of Mg2+ in SrP system can accelerate degradation of materials. The cytocompatibility study indicates Mg2+ can reduce the toxicity of excessive Sr2+ to osteoblast cells.