Preparation and characterization of the sol–gel nano-bioactive glasses modified by the coupling agent gamma-aminopropyltriethoxysilane

The sol–gel derived bioactive glasses (SBG) have been used in bone-tissue engineering because of their excellent biocompatibility and osteoconductivity. In this study, nano-SBG was successfully achieved through a wet mechanical grinding technique, and to further improve its dispersibility and cells proliferation, a silane coupling agent was coupled onto the surface of nano-SBG. Gamma-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) was used to the surface modification of the nano-SBG (60 mol%SiO2, 36 mol%CaO, 4 mol%P2O5) by a wet-chemical method in a dynamic inert nitrogen atmosphere. The surface properties of the biomaterials before and after modification were characterized and compared using FTIR and XPS. The characteristic peaks in FTIR spectra indicated that –CH2CH3 and –NH2 groups appeared on the surface of modified nano-SBG, and also, XPS spectra analysis revealed that nitrogen element was detected and carbon concentration increased on the surface of nano-SBG after modification. The above analysis proved that the desired groups of APTES had been covalently bonded onto the surface of nano-SBG.