Mesoporous bioactive glasses: Mechanical reinforcement by means of a biomimetic process

Mesoporous bioactive glasses (MBGs) constitute a new family of bioceramics with the fastest in vitro bioactivity studied so far. In this work, pieces with the composition 85SiO2–10CaO–5P2O5 (mol.%) were prepared as MBGs and also by the conventional sol–gel method. After in vitro tests in simulated body fluid, the MBG pieces exhibited compression resistance twice as great than before, whereas conventional sol–gel glasses showed similar values. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy demonstrate the development of an apatite-like phase not only on the external surface, but also on the grains located within the MBGs pieces. In contrast, conventional sol–gel glasses only developed an apatite-like phase on the external surface. This work presents for the first time a new property of MBGs: the mechanical reinforcement of a bioactive glass through a biomimetic process. This ability is explained in terms of the outstanding bioactive behavior and the three-dimensional mesoporous structure that is exclusive for this bioceramics family.