Accelerated bioactive behavior of Nagelschmidtite bioceramics: Mimicking the nano and microstructural aspects of biological mineralization

Abstract The ability of the Nagelschmidtite (Nagel) phase to promote osteogenesis, cementogenesis, and angiogenesis increased the interest in using this calcium silicophosphate bioceramic for tissue regeneration and vascularization applications. Nagel phase is a solid solution with the general formula Ca7-xNax(PO4)2+x(SiO4)2-x, which allows several substitutions being Ca7(PO4)2(SiO4)2 the most reported stoichiometry. Inspired by the well-known 45S5 bioactive glass chemical composition, we developed a synthesis route to obtain a Na-rich Nagel single phase. The effect of this bioceramic chemical and structural properties on apatite formation and crystallization mechanism is reported. The structural aspects at the nano and microscale of the mechanism of apatite growth and crystallization from the Nagel phase were compared to the formation process of Extra-Cellular Matrix (ECM) deposits in biological systems, revealing a biomimetic behavior during the apatite biomineralization process from the bioceramic.