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

• Published in: Journal of sol-gel science and technology 2008-03, Vol.45 (3), p.261-267
• Main Authors: Toledo Fernández, J. A., Mendoza-Serna, R., Santos, A., Piñero, M., Rosa-Fox, N. de la, Esquivias, L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aerogels; Apatite; Biological activity; Ceramics; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Colloidal gels. Colloidal sols; Colloidal state and disperse state; Composites; Compression tests; Exact sciences and technology; Fourier transforms; General and physical chemistry; Glass; Infrared analysis; Inorganic Chemistry; Materials Science; Modulus of elasticity; Nanotechnology; Natural Materials; Optical and Electronic Materials; Original Paper; Phosphorus pentoxide; Porous materials; Scanning electron microscopy; Titanium; Titanium dioxide; Wollastonite; X-ray diffraction
• ISSN: 0928-0707; 1573-4846
• DOI: 10.1007/s10971-007-1674-z

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 (CaSiO 3 ) 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 N 2 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-P 2 O 5 hybrid aerogels increased their capacity to form apatite and, consequently, improving their bioactive response.