Zinc and Silver Containing Mesoporous Bioactive Glass Nanoparticles for Bone Regeneration

Mesoporous bioactive glass nanoparticles (MBGNs) have been wildly used to deliver therapeutically active ions as multi-functional nanocarriers for bone regeneration applications. Copper (Cu), strontium (Sr), and zinc (Zn) were successfully incorporated into the MBGNs (60SiO2-40CaO) using the microemulsion-assisted sol-gel method and the post-functionalization process. The monodispersed spherical particles with a diameter size range of 110 ± 20 nm (SEM) were stable in the aqueous solution (Zeta potential >-30 mV). Sr, Zn, and Ag were successfully incorporated into the MBGNs without altering their amorphous structure and chemical structure of the particles. The diameter pore ranged from 4.5 to 5.6 nm indicating the mesoporous structure. The surface area increased from 120 (MBGNs) to 128 m2g-1 (doped MBGNs). All MBGNs exhibited in vitro bioactivity when immersed in simulated body fluid and showed no cytotoxicity towards MC3T3-E1 pre-osteoblast cells up to the particle concentration at 200 μg/mL. Sr-Zn@MBGNs, Sr-Ag@MBGNs, and Sr-Ag-Zn@MBGNs showed antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus. The addition of Sr, Zn, and Ag to MBGNPs enhanced their effectiveness in antibacterial activity and bioactivity.