Rachele Sergi

45S5 Bioglass® (45S5 BG) is a well-known bioactive inorganic material attracting increasing interest for applications in medicine.  However, the high tendency to crystallize during thermal treatments limits the broader use of 45S5 BG. In this context, a novel bioactive glass with low tendency to devitrification and high bioactivity was developed by the inclusion of Sr and Mg ions [1]. Furthermore, Sr and Mg, as biologically active ions, play important roles in the bone development process and in the induction of angiogenesis [2]. The focus of this project is the incorporation of bioactive glass particles with Sr and Mg ions into poly(epsilon-caprolactone) fibers to obtain fibrous composites fabricated by electrospinning technique. Such composites combine the properties of the organic matrix with the reinforcement of the inorganic phase embedded into the fibers, being thus suitable for the fabrication of healing devices [3].

[1] D. Bellucci, V. Cannillo. A novel bioactive glass containing strontium and magnesium with ultrahigh crystallization temperature. Mater. Lett. 213 (2018) 67–70.

[2] A. Hoppe, et al. A review of the biological response to ionic dissolution products from bioactive glasses and glass-ceramics. Biomaterials 32 (2011), 2757-2774

[3] L. Liverani, A. R. Boccaccini. Versatile Production of Poly(Epsilon-Caprolactone) Fibers by Electrospinning Using Benign Solvents.  Nanomaterials 6 (2016) 75