Sol-gel synthesis of 13-93 bioactive glass powders containing therapeutic agents

In the current study cerium or galliumcontaining silicate based 13-93 bioactive glass powders were prepared using sol-gel method. Cerium and gallium ions were chosen due to their well-known therapeutic actions and antimicrobial properties. Effect of cerium and gallium substitution (up to 5w%) on the in vitro bioactivity, and mechanical properties of the prepared powders and scaffolds were assessed. Results revealed that, additions of cerium or gallium has no significant negative effect for in vitro bioactivity and hydroxyapatite forming ability of the glass for long immersion times in simulated body fluid. An increase in mechanical properties was observed in cerium doped (>3%) glass samples presumably due to CeO2 formation during sintering. It was concluded that bioactive glass powders containing therapeutic metal ions prepared in the study via sol-gel process may find applications in biomedical applications in near future.