Enhancement of fracture toughness in bioactive glass-based nanocomposites with nanocrystalline forsterite as advanced biomaterials for bone tissue engineering applications

In this research, the replacement effects of bioactive glass (BG) by nanocrystalline forsterite (NF) on the biomineralization, microstructural and mechanical properties of BG-based nanocomposites were investigated. The hybrid nanocomposites with different NF contents (0, 10, 20, and 30 wt%) were prepared from the nanopowders by means of conventional cold pressing method. Surprisingly, the addition of NF provided redundant mechanisms to improve the toughness of the BG matrix without deteriorating its biomineralization properties. In addition, the resulting enhancement in the fracture toughness, observed for the first time in highly bioactive BG/NF nanocomposites, indicated the potential of the prepared nanocomposites as advanced biomaterials for load-bearing bone tissue engineering applications.