Effect of T-ZnOw addition on the degradability of sol-gel derived SiO2-CaO-P2O5 glass-ceramics

Abstract The effect of tetra-needle-like ZnO whisker (T-ZnOw) addition on the degradability of sol-gel derived SiO2 CaO-P2O5 glass-ceramics (58S glass-ceramics) was explored. The degradability of the prepared glass-ceramics was evaluated by immersing in simulated body fluid (SBF) and in Tris–HCl buffer solution for 1, 3, 7 and 14 days respectively. The degradability and biological properties were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and inductively coupled plasma (ICP). The results revealed that T-ZnOw addition has significant influence on the degradability and biological properties of the sol-gel derived 58S glass-ceramics. The 58S glass-ceramics doped with no more than 2.5 wt% T-ZnOw still have good biological activity. Furthermore, the degradability of the 58S bioactive glass-ceramics can be effectively reduced by the T-ZnOw incorporation. The conclusions indicate that it is feasible to tune the degradation rate of the material by T-ZnOw.