Synthesis and characterization of SrO-containing bioglass-ceramic from rice husk silicon dioxide

Abstract Rice husk is an abundant waste at the Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, and it can be used to produce pure silicon dioxide, which is the main component of bioglass-ceramics. The addition of compounds, such as SrO, can improve the biocompatibility of these biomaterials. Therefore, the goal of this paper was to use rice husk silicon dioxide as a cheap precursor to obtaining bioglass-ceramics of the system 50%SiO2-25%Na2O-(25-x)%CaO-x%SrO (mol%) by sol-gel and investigate its potential use as a biomaterial. Two samples (BGC blank and BGC-5%Sr) were synthesized and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and elemental carbon analysis by the combustion method. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to investigate the morphology of the bioglass-ceramics, while MTT assay of cell viability was used for in vitro characterization. The obtained silicon dioxide was amorphous and presented a small carbon content. Also, the bioglass-ceramics showed main phases with Si, Ca, Na, and Sr on their structure. Both samples were not cytotoxic against peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), and the incorporation of 5% SrO improved biocompatibility.