Sol–gel derived bioactive glasses with low tendency to crystallize: Synthesis, post-sintering bioactivity and possible application for the production of porous scaffolds

A new sol–gel (SG) method is proposed to produce special bioactive glasses (BG_Ca family) characterized by a low tendency to devitrify. These formulations, derived from 45S5 Bioglass®, are characterized by a high content of CaO (45.6 mol%) and by a partial or complete substitution of sodium oxide with potassium oxide (total amount of alkaline oxides: 4.6 mol%), which increases the crystallization temperature up to 900 °C. In this way, it is possible to produce them by SG preserving their amorphous nature, in spite of the calcination at 850 °C. The sintering behavior of the obtained SG powders is thoroughly investigated and the properties of the sintered bodies are compared to those of the melt-derived (M) counterparts. Furthermore, the SG glass powders are successfully used to produce scaffolds by means of a modified replication technique based on the combined use of polyurethane sponges and polyethylene particles. Finally, in the view of a potential application for bone tissue engineering, the cytotoxicity of the produced materials is evaluated in vitro.