Improvement of the bioactivity of organic-inorganic hybrid aerogels/wollastonite composites with TiO2

摘要

Organic-inorganic hybrid aerogels containing P and Ti have been synthesized by supercritical drying of alkogels prepared by hydrolysis and poly-condensation of metalo-organic precursors under high-power ultrasound. These materials become bioactive when doped with Ca. Wollastonite particles (CaSiO3) were added as an active phase, instead of incorporating Ca into the aerogel atomic network. These particles had previously been precipitated and were then added to the sol. The aerogels were studied by Fourier transform infrared analysis, scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction and N2 adsorption. The stress-strain behaviours were evaluated under compression to obtain the Young's modulus. It was found that the incorporation of TiO 2 into wollastonite-P2O5 hybrid aerogels increased their capacity to form apatite and, consequently, improving their bioactive response. © 2008 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.