Effect of carbon nanotubes on in vitro cellular responses for bioglass application

•BG with various CNT concentrations was successfully formed by the sol-gel method.•The addition of CNTs in the BG matrix will be providing a foundation for nucleation.•Adding CNTs will be increasing the pore size of the composite materials.•The composite materials with high concentrations of CNTs were reduced cell growth. Composite materials have been widely used in the field of biomedical science. In this study, the optimal concentration of bioglass/carbon nanotubes (BG/CNTs) in a composite powder was investigated. The composite was produced using the sol-gel process. When CNTs were added, they provided a crystal nucleation site for BG nanoparticles and decreased the heat treatment temperature required (from 700 °C to 500 °C). Compared to the BG group, a suitable quantity of CNTs increased the pore size (12.67 nm) of the composite materials. Meanwhile, the BG/0.05 CNT group showed weight gain results and revealed a faster apatite formation rate after 3 days than other composites. The apatite layer (which increased in thickness from 1.69 μm to 12.51 μm) was observed using scanning electron microscopy after 7 days. Additionally, the proliferation of the MG63 cell line showed an excellent performance with some BG/CNT ratios. It should be noted, however, that an excessive number (>0.05 wt%) of CNTs as filler in a BG matrix reduces cell growth.