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Abstract
Calcium oxyboroapatite with bimodal porosity and proposed general formula (CaO)x(PO2.5)y(BO1.5)z with 10 ≥ x ≥ 9, y ≥ 4 and z ≥ 1.6 have been prepared for the first time, by thermal processing of sol–gel-derived glass. F-127 triblock copolymer was incorporated in the sol–gel reactions as the structure directing agent under acidic conditions, whereas tributyl borate, triethyl phosphate and calcium nitrate were used as precursors for the glass structure. The prepared materials were chemically analyzed and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), infrared absorption and Raman scattering spectroscopic techniques, where the related XRD patterns clearly revealed growth of rich in boron oxyboroapatite phase with increasing temperature. The oxyboroapatite phases treated at high temperatures exhibited bioactivity after soaking in simulated body fluid (SBF) solution within a few hours and these were observed by μ-Raman and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Moreover, the external morphology of these materials has been directly observed with SEM microscopy before and after the immersion in SBF. Furthermore, mercury intrusion porosity measurements were taken in order to investigate the porosity, showing bimodal meso- and macro-porosity.
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1 Materials Science Department, University of Patras, Patras, Greece
2 Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece