The evolution, control, and effects of the compositions of bioactive glasses on their properties and applications

Abstract

Bioactive glasses have been extensively studied for several applications, and understanding their structures is very important for the design of alternative materials and comprehension of the behaviors of these materials. The dissolution products of bioactive glasses are critical for their performance and application and heavily depend on the bioactive glass network. The incorporation of physiologically active ions into their structures and the controlled ion release can lead to therapeutic benefits, such as cell differentiation, antibacterial action, and anti-inflammatory effects, improving the properties of the bioactive glasses. This chapter covers literature reports that have investigated the physicochemical and biological properties of bioactive glasses based on their structures. In particular, recent advances in the understanding of the effects of bioactive glasses with different compositions, which are fabricated via the incorporation of several different ions, on their biological properties and applications are summarized and discussed. This chapter provides an overview of new tissue engineering approaches based on therapeutic ion release, which aids in understanding how the chemical composition can be tailored according to each application.