Characterization of bioactive glass-coated carbon nanotubes prepared by solgel process

Due to its excellent bioactivity, bioactive glass (BG) is suitable for use as bone graft substitutes in biomedical applications. In this study, carbon nanotubes (CNT-COOH) served as templates for depositing bioactive glass based on 60SiO2-36CaO-4P2O5 wt% were synthesized via the sol-gel process. The BG and BG/CNT-COOH composites were treated at 300, 500, 700, and 900°C, their properties were also examined by X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The experimental results showed that BG/CNT-COOH composites treated at 500 and 700°C were amorphous and contained silicate nanocrystals. By altering precursor concentration, bioactive glass of various thicknesses was successfully sol-gel coated on CNT-COOH. Immersion of the BG/CNT-COOH composites in simulated body fluid solution and MG-63 cell culture assessment showed that the 500°C treated BG/CNT-COOH exhibits excellent bioactivity.