Sol–gel grown MgO-ZnO-tricalcium-phosphate nanobioceramics: Evaluation of mechanical and degradation attributes

•The MgO-ZnO-TCP nanobioceramics are prepared by sol–gel processing technique.•The compression test revealed that the sample containing 40 mol% of TCP can delay the loss of the compressive strength.•The potentiodynamic polarization showed a significant shift in the corrosion potential to the nobler direction.•The immersion test demonstrated that the sample containing 40 mol% of TCP induced more HA formation. Nanobioceramics with enhanced mechanical and degradable properties are demanding for bone tissue engineering purposes. We report the influence of partial replacement of ZnO by tricalcium phosphate (TCP) on the improved structure, degradation and mechanical properties of sol-gel grown MgO-ZnO-TCP nanobioceramics. Sample containing 40 mol% of TCP revealed homogenous distribution of fine agglomerates composed of ellipsoidal plates-like particles of average diameter ≈25.42 nm and length ≈80.93 nm. Immersion test is performed to determine the degradation characteristics of the as-prepared samples. Sample containing 40 mol% of TCP presented the lowest degradation rate and delayed loss of the compressive strength. It is established that the proposed MgO-ZnO-TCP nanobioceramic composition with good mechanical properties and corrosion resistance are prospective for biodegradable implants.