The use of yttrium aluminosilicate (YAS) glasses as vectors for radiotherapy is critically affected by the glass durability in a physiological medium. To understand the relation between glass composition, structure, and durability at an atomistic level, we have carried out classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of two YAS compositions with different durability. The analysis of the MD trajectories shows that the lower durability at high Y2O3 concentration is due to the combined effect of lower connectivity of the glass network and reduced yttrium clustering. Increasing the yttrium content increased the coordination numbers of all atomic species, made possible a greater range of atomic environments, and reduced the network connectivity, particularly related to silicon. Aluminum ions show a strong tendency to self-aggregate, and can form additional Al−O−Al linkages to balance the reduced number of Si network-formers in the high Y2O3 composition: this leads to some very highly connected aluminum atoms, characterized by the appearance of large-n Q n (Al) species in the corresponding distribution. The presence of significant yttrium clustering only in the more durable, low Y2O3 composition denotes that clustering of modifier ions can further enhance the glass durability, in agreement with previous results for bioactive glasses. (Tilocca et al. Chem. Mater. 2007, 19, 95.)

The incorporation of yttrium in bioactive glasses (BGs) could lead to a new generation of radionuclide vectors for cancer therapy, with high biocompatibility, controlled biodegradability and the ability to enhance the growth of new healthy tissues after the treatment with radionuclides. It is essential to assess whether and to what extent yttrium incorporation affects the favourable properties of the BG matrix: ideally, one would like to combine the high surface reactivity typical of BGs with a slow release of radioactive yttrium. Molecular Dynamics simulations show that, compared to a BG composition with the same silica fraction, incorporation of yttrium results in two opposing effects on the glass durability: a more fragmented silicate network (leading to lower durability) and a stronger yttrium-mediated association between separate silicate fragments (leading to higher durability). The simulations also highlight a high site-selectivity and some clustering of yttrium cations, which are likely linked to the observed slow rate of yttrium released from related Y-BG compositions. Optimisation of yttrium BG compositions for radiotherapy applications thus depends on the delicate balance between these effects.

Molecular dynamics simulations of phosphate-based glasses P(2)O(5)-CaO-Na(2)O have been carried out, using an interatomic force field that has been parameterized to reproduce the structural and mechanical properties of crystalline phosphorus pentoxide, o(')(P(2)O(5))(∞) orthorhombic phase. Polarization effects have been included through the shell-model potential and formal charges have been used to aid transferability. A modification to the DL_POLY code (version 2.20) was used to model the high temperature shell dynamics. Structural characterizations of three biomedically applicative molar compositions, (P(2)O(5))(0.45)(CaO)(x)(Na(2)O)(0.55-x) (x = 0.30, 0.35, and 0.40), have been undertaken. Good agreement with available experimental and ab initio data is obtained. The simulations show that, dependent on composition, the phosphorus atoms are primarily bonded to two or three oxygens that in turn bridge to neighbouring phosphorus atoms. Na(+) and Ca(2+) modifiers are found to occupy a pseudo-octahedral bonding environment with mean oxygen coordination numbers of 6.55 and 6.85, respectively, across all compositions studied.