Jonas Röder

Bachelor Student

The Effect of Sintering Temperature on Crystallization and Mineralization of Sol-Gel Derived Bioactive Glasses/Scaffolds

Betreuer: Qaisar Nawaz, Prof. Ado R. Boccaccini

Bioactive glasses (BGs) have the ability to form an integrated bond with bone through bioreactions and biomineralization at their surface, leading to the formation of an apatite surface layer which makes BGs promising materials in the context of bone tissue engineering [1]. This Bachelor thesis will focus on sol-gel derived BGs. The structure and the glassy nature of synthesized BGs will be confirmed by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The glass transition and crystallization parameters will be evaluated under non-isothermal conditions using DSC. The new glasses will also be characterized for in vitro mineralization in order to compare the adhesion capabilities of the mineralized layers formed on crystalline and amorphous regions. The novel BGs will be used to form scaffolds via foam replication method [2] and these scaffolds will be also be characterized in terms of morphology and in vitro mineralization.

[1] Gerhardt LC, Boccaccini AR, Bioactive Glass and Glass-Ceramic Scaffolds for Bone Tissue Engineering, Materials 2010; 3:3867-3910.

[2] Chen QZ, Thompson ID, Boccaccini AR, 45S5 Bioglass® -derived glass-ceramic scaffolds for bone tissue engineering, Biomaterials 2006; 27:2414–25.