Nanoscale Surface Structure of Bioactive Glass (S53P4) as a Function of Immersion Time in SBF

摘要

Nanoscale surface structure of a bioactive glass (S53P4) was investigated by atomic force microscopy as a function of immersion time in the simulated body fluid (SBF). The samples were additionally studied by FT-IR to identify changes in chemical composition on the surface. Great changes were observed to occur on the S53P4 glass surface before calcium phosphate starts to form. These nanoscale changes produce possible local supersaturation sites for nucleation of calcium phosphate. The nanoscale dimensions resemble so1-gel-erived SiO_2 and TiO_2 surfaces, which are known to be beneficial for calcium phosphate formation in vitro. The peak distances are almost identical, but peak heights are higher for the bioactive glass S53P4, which is expected to have an influence on the formation of calcium phosphate crystals.