Abstract
Bioactive glasses have attracted enormous attention in the field of biomaterials for dental and medical applications. Incorporation of antibacterial ions within BGs has been proved to be a promising approach to fortify their bactericidal character. In this study, homogenous BGs containing silver (Ag) ions were synthesized by sol-gel method. Subsequently, the presence of the embedded ions were characterized by X-ray fluorescence (XRF) elemental analysis and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy. Moreover, released ions were measured in simulated body fluid (SBF) and their antibacterial effectiveness was further verified using minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) tests. A crystalline hydroxyapatite layer was formed on the Ag-BG surfaces at day 5 approved by X-ray diffraction indicating the preserved bioactivity. The resultant uniform, mono-dispersed and dense nanoparticles show 19 great potential for a range of orthopedic and dental applications.