Size control and biological properties of monodispersed mesoporous bioactive glass sub-micron spheres

Abstract

We report a facile method for fabricating monodispersed mesoporous bioactive glass sub-micron spheres (MBGS) using dodecylamine (DDA) as a catalyst and template agent in a sol–gel process by self-assembly between a neutral organic surfactant and neutral inorganic precursor (S⁰I⁰). Moreover, we investigate the effect of sub-micron particle size on the physicochemical properties, apatite-forming ability, and biocompatibility of MBGS. Results showed that all samples exhibited regular spherical morphology and favorable mono-dispersibility. The average particle diameters of MBGS (200–800 nm) were controlled by adjusting the concentration of DDA. All samples induced the formation of rod-like apatite precipitates, which closely resembled the natural nanoscale apatite crystal, showing their high apatite-forming ability. Furthermore, MBGS surfaces also supported the attachment and promoted proliferation of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity of MG-63 cells, showing the good biocompatibility of MBGS. MBGS-1 had the smallest particle size and it was found that it could significantly enhance MG-63 proliferation and differentiation because of the smaller particle size and higher specific surface area. It is hoped that this study may motivate the development and applications of submicron biomaterials for bone repair applications.