Development of cobalt (Co)‐doped monetites for bone regeneration

Cobalt‐doped monetite powders were synthesized by coprecipitation method under a cobalt nominal content between 2 and 20 mol % of total cation. Structural characterization of samples was performed by using X‐ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy. XRD results indicated that the Co‐doped samples exhibited a monetite single‐phase with the cell parameters and crystallite size dependent on the amount of substitutional element incorporated into the triclinic crystalline structure. Cell viability and adhesion assays using pre‐osteoblastic cells showed there is no toxicity and the RTqPCR analysis showed significant differences in the expression for osteoblastic phenotype genes, showing a potential material for the bone regeneration.