In this study, silicate based 13-93 bioactive glass fibers were prepared through sol-gel processing and electrospinning technique. A precursor solution containing poly (vinyl alcohol) and bioactive glass sol was used to produce fibers. The mixture was electrospun at a voltage of 20 kV by maintaining tip to a collector distance of 10 cm. The amorphous glass fibers with an average diameter of 464±95 nm were successfully obtained after calcination at 625 °C. Hydroxyapatite formation on calcined 13-93 fibers was investigated in simulated body fluid (SBF) using two different fiber concentrations (0.5 and 1 mg/ml) at 37 °C. When immersed in SBF, conversion to a calcium phosphate material showed a strong dependence on the fiber concentration. At 1mg/ml, the surface of the fibers converted to the hydroxyapatite-like material in SBF only after 30 days. At lower solid concentrations (0.5 mg/ml), an amorphous calcium phosphate layer formation was observed followed by the conversion to hydroxyapatite phase after 7 days of immersion. The XTT (2,3-Bis-(2-Methoxy-4-Nitro-5-Sulfophenyl)-2H-Tetrazolium-5-Carboxanilide) assay was conducted to evaluate the osteoblast cell response to the bioactive glass fibers.
Keywords: Bioactive glass; Electrospinning; Fibers; Tissue engineering applications.
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