Ag-DOPED BIOACTIVE GLASS-CERAMIC 3D SCAFFOLDS: A MICROSTRUCTURAL STUDY TO ANTIBACTERIAL AND BIOLOGICAL PERFORMANCE

Abstract Ag-doped sol-gel derived bioactive glass-ceramic particles (Ag-BG) were used to fabricate highly porous scaffolds exhibiting advanced antibacterial properties and formation of an apatite-like layer. The applied heat treatment for the development of the 3D Ag-BG scaffolds was selected after the characterization of the thermal behavior of Ag-BG particles using differential thermal analysis (DTA), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and hot stage microscopy (HSM). The structural characteristics of the scaffolds were studied using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), micro-computerized tomography (Micro-CT), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transformed infrared (FTIR), magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS-NMR), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to correlate how the characteristics in the hierarchal structure of the Ag-BG scaffolds affected their antibacterial performance and apatite forming ability. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was used to evaluate the antibacterial response of the Ag-BG scaffolds. The observed characteristics make these Ag-BG scaffolds attractive candidates for biomedical applications.