Synthesis, characterization, drug loading and in-vitro bioactivity studies of rice husk derived SiO₂–P₂O₅–MgO–CaO–SrO bio-active glasses

The present work reports on the synthesis and biocompatibility of SiO₂–P₂O₅–MgO–CaO–SrO glass system. The MgO was partially replaced by the SrO to check its influence on the bioactivity of the glass samples. The silica used for the development of glass samples was obtained from rice husk ash using acid-base precipitation technique. The structural, morphological and thermal properties of the synthesized glasses are characterized by X-Ray diffraction (XRD), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and differential thermal analysis (DTA) techniques. The bioactivity of the glasses was monitored by surface activity of the glass samples after treatment with the simulated body fluid (SBF). The evolution of the apatite layer was confirmed by observing variations in the crystal structures, morphological features, and evolution of new functional groups. The release of the ions in the SBF solution was examined by microwave plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (MP-AES). Evolution of the hydroxyapatite (HAp) layer was also examined by optical-analytic approach. Further the drug loading efficiency was measured using VANCO as model drug. The incorporation of SrO led to enhancement in the bioactivity of the glass samples as compared to the one without it.