Synthesis and characterization of novel boron and zinc-containing glass nanoparticles with antibacterial activity

The development of biocompatible glasses has revolutionized the science and technology of biomaterials. Due to their versatile physicochemical and physiological properties, the inorganic glasses have been widely used in the field of hard and soft tissue repair and regeneration. Recent investigations have focused on using elements such as B, Zn, Cu, Mg, Se, Ce, Ag, and Sr in glass structure because of their ability to exert multiple biological effects. In this context, novel boron and zinc-containing silicate-based glass nanoparticles based on the quaternary SiO2-CaO-B2O 3-ZnO system were synthesized by the sol-gel route. To better understand the influence of boron and zinc elements on the structural and biological properties of glasses, tertiary silicate glass systems based on SiO2-CaO-B2O3 and SiO2-CaO-ZnO were also prepared by sol- gel method. The structure, morphology, and particle size of the glasses determined using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM). Furthermore, the possible antibacterial activity of the glasses against gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus bacteria was evaluated. The amorphous structure of the obtained glasses was confirmed by X-ray diffraction. The results of the FE-SEM characterization indicated the spherical morphology and nano-sized range of glass particles. According to the results of antibacterial assay, SiO2-CaO-B2O3-ZnO glass nanoparticles significantly reduced the number of bacterial colonies in comparison to control group.These findings indicate that the developed SiO2-CaO-B2O3-ZnO glass may be a suitable candidate as an antibacterial agent