Effects of acidic catalysts on the microstructure and biological property of sol–gel bioactive glass microspheres

Sol–gel bioactive glasses have been developed for bone tissue regeneration and drug delivery systems as they have the unique mesoporous structure and high bioactivity in vitro. To develop more reliable drug delivery and bone tissue repair systems, it is necessary to control the morphology and microstructure of bioactive glasses. For this purpose, bioactive glass microspheres (BGMs) were prepared by a sol–gel co-template technology using acids as catalysts. We studied the effects of different acids (citric acid, lactic acid and acetic acid) on the microstructure and apatite-forming bioactivity of BGM. The apatite-forming bioactivity was carried out in simulated body fluid (SBF). The microstructure and apatite-forming bioactivity of BGMs were characterized by various methods. Results showed that acetic acid had little effect on the structure and bioactivity of BGMs. Differently, the morphology and microstructure of BGMs could be controlled by changing citric acid and lactic acid concentrations. In vitro bioactivity test indicated that citric acid and lactic acid derived BGMs possessed the better apatite-forming capacity than that derived by acetic acid.