<i>In Vitro</i> Bioactive Characteristics of Borate‐Based Glasses with Controllable Degradation Behavior

TLDR

Silicate‑based bioactive glasses convert incompletely to calcium phosphate after implantation, limiting their biomedical use. The study developed borate‑based glasses with tunable degradation and examined their in‑vitro bioactivity. The rate of carbonate‑substituted hydroxyapatite formation was tuned by varying the B₂O₃/SiO₂ ratio. In 0.02 M K₂HPO₄ at 37 °C, the glasses formed carbonate‑substituted hydroxyapatite, demonstrating bioactivity and suitability as bone‑tissue engineering scaffolds.

Abstract

Silicate‐based bioactive glasses undergo incomplete conversion to a calcium phosphate material after in vivo implantation, which severely limits their biomedical application. In this communication, novel borate‐based glasses with controllable degradation behavior were developed and their bioactive potential was investigated in vitro . When immersed in a 0.02 M K 2 HPO 4 solution at 37°C, these glasses reacted to form a carbonate‐substituted hydroxyapatite (c‐HA) on their surfaces, indicating their bioactive potential. The conversion rate to c‐HA was controlled by adjusting the B 2 O 3 /SiO 2 ratio in the glass composition. The results indicate the potential application of the borate‐based bioactive glass as scaffold materials for bone tissue engineering.