The effect of Ag2O and MgO dopants on the bioactivity, biocompatibility, and antibacterial properties of 58S bioactive glass synthesized by the sol-gel method

In the current investigation, the bioactive glasses (BGs) in 60SiO2–26CaO-4P2O5–5SrO-xMgO-(5-x)Ag2O systems (x = 0–5 mol.%) were fabricated via the sol-gel method. The effect of Ag and Mg dopants on in vitro apatite-forming ability, antibacterial properties, and cell viability were studied. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were carried out for morphological and structural evaluations. Based on the results, the BG-A2M3 (2 mol% Ag2O and 3 mol% MgO) sample had the highest ability to form a hydroxyapatite layer. The antibacterial and 3-(4,5 dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay data indicated the antibacterial properties due to the presence of Ag and biocompatibility of synthesized BGs, respectively. Accordingly, BG-A2M3 was selected as the optimized sample with great biocompatibility and optimum antibacterial and bioactive properties. This sample is suitable for dental and orthopedic applications.