Characterization, bioactivity investigation and cytotoxicity of borosilicate glass/dicalcium silicate composites

Abstract Composites of dicalcium silicate cement (C2S), prepared by solid state reaction, were fabricated with 5, 10, 15 and 20 wt% additions of borosilicate glass (BG) prepared by melt–quenching method. Bioactivity behavior of the cement and its composites was estimated by soaking in simulated body fluid (SBF) at 37 ± 0.5 °C for 28 days. Physico-mechanical properties of the cement and its composites were measured. The variations of pH, Ca and P ions concentrations in the SBF solution after soaking were determined. Additionally, the structure was analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). Evaluation of the cytotoxicity against human normal fibroplast cell line (BJ1) was also carried out. Results showed the formation of hydroxyapatite (HA) layer on the surface of investigated materials after immersion in SBF solution. It can be pointed out that increasing BG content in the present cement composition enhances the mechanical properties and the bioactivity behavior of the cement. Moreover, with increasing the content of BG in cement, the cytotoxicity effect decreases, making these materials possible candidates for dental applications.