Ce/Sm/Sr-Incorporating Ceramic Scaffolds Obtained via Sol-Gel Route

Abstract

Three different inorganic scaffolds were obtained starting from the oxide system SiO2‒P2O5‒CaO‒MgO, to which Ce4+/Sm3+/Sr2+ cations were added in order to propose novel materials with potential application in the field of hard tissue engineering. Knowing the beneficial effects of each element, improved features in terms of mechanical properties, antibacterial activity and cellular response are expected. The compositions were processed in the form of scaffolds by a common sol-gel method, followed by a thermal treatment at 1000 and 1200 °C. The obtained samples were characterized from thermal, compositional, morphological and mechanical point of view. It was shown that each supplementary component triggers the modification of the crystalline phase composition, as well as microstructural details. Moreover, the shrinkage behavior is well correlated with the attained compression strength values. Sm was proven to be the best choice, since in addition to a superior mechanical resistance, a clear beneficial influence on the viability of 3T3 fibroblast cell line was observed.

Processing of Calcium Magnesium Silicates by the Sol–Gel Route

“…The last stage of mass loss takes place between 420 and 600 °C and is linked with an endothermic process, certainly due to the completion of nitrate decomposition. At higher temperatures, between 600 and 800 °C, several weight variations occur, presumably generated by the accidental carbonation of some species in the sample with CO 2 from the atmosphere, resulting in compounds that are weakly crystalline and decarbonate in this temperature range [ 52 , 53 ].…”

“…It is well-known that the signals of Si–O bonds can be identified in the range of 800–1100 cm −1 . If, in the FTIR spectra of the gel, there are two wide and low bands centred at around 1080 and 950 cm −1 , associated with the stretching vibrations of Si–O–Si bonding, the situation is different in the FTIR spectra of the thermally treated ceramics: both Si–O–Si and Si–O bonding are visible, integrated into a complex band with multiple peaks; more precisely, antisymmetric and symmetric stretching vibrations of Si–O–Si bridging oxygen bonds in SiO 4 4− tetrahedra, as well as Si–O–Ca and Si–O–Mg non-bridging oxygen bonds overlap and give rise to a broad and jagged band [ 53 , 54 ]. In the case of the signals that emerged below the value of 600 cm −1 , the fingerprints of O–Ca–O and O–Mg–O bonding can be identified as bending vibrations at 510 and 540 cm −1 , respectively; Mg–O contribution is sometimes integrated into Ca–O contribution or detected as a shoulder [ 55 , 56 ].…”

The Effect of Silver and Samarium on the Properties of Bioglass Coatings Produced by Pulsed Laser Deposition and Spin Coating

“…Types of dopants for BGs include metallic ions, like copper (Cu) [12], zinc (Zn) [13], silver (Ag) [14], strontium (Sr) [15], and iron (Fe) [16] and rare-earth ions, such as cerium (Ce) [17], europium (Eu) [18], and samarium (Sm) [19]. Rare-earth dopants have been found to improve the bioactivity, osteogenic activity, and antibacterial properties of BGs [20,21]. A. Saatchi et al [22] conducted a study on wound-healing applications using eco-friendly electrospun chitosan-based scaffolds.…”

Photoluminescence and Energy Transfer in Double- and Triple-Lanthanide-Doped YVO4 Nanoparticles

“…First, they are characterized by the stability of the physical and chemical behavior over a wide temperature range, biocompatibility, and mechanical hardness. The combination of these properties makes them promising candidates for a wide range of applications in mechanical engineering [ 14 , 15 , 16 ], medicine [ 17 , 18 ], sensing technology [ 19 , 20 ], anticounterfeiting [ 21 , 22 ], and others [ 23 , 24 ].…”