Effect of gadolinium ions on the structure and magnetic properties of zinc-borate glasses and glass ceramics

X-ray diffraction (XRD), electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), and magnetic susceptibility measurements have been employed to investigate the samples from the (Gd₂O₃) _x ·(B₂O₃)_(60−x)·(ZnO)₄₀ (0 ≤ x ≤ 20 mol%) system. The XRD pattern for the prepared samples shows that the vitreous phase is present only for x ≤ 15 mol%. For the samples containing 20 mol% Gd₂O₃ the presence of a unique crystalline phase, GdBO₃, embedded in a vitreous matrix was evidenced. In this case the XRD patterns show the presence of nanometer sized crystals (64 nm) in a glassy matrix. The EPR spectra of the studied samples exhibit three important features with effective g-values of ≈6, 2.8, 2.0 and a weaker feature at g ≈ 4.8. For low Gd₂O₃ contents (x < 3 mol%), the EPR spectra have the typical ‘‘U’’-type shape. For higher contents of Gd₂O₃ (x ≥ 3 mol%), the spectral features are broadened and finally are dominated by a single broad absorption line located at g ≈ 2.0. This broad EPR line is associated to the Gd³⁺ ions present predominantly as clustered species. Magnetic susceptibility data show that for x > 1 mol% the Gd³⁺ ions are present not only as isolated species but also as species coupled through antiferromagnetic exchange interactions.     

In vitro heat generation by ferrimagnetic maghemite microspheres for hyperthermic treatment of cancer under an alternating magnetic field

Ferrimagnetic materials can be expected to be useful as thermo seeds for hyperthermic treatment of cancer, especially where the cancer is located in deep parts of body, as they can generate heat by magnetic hysteretic loss when they are placed in an alternating magnetic field. Recently, it was reported that ferrimagnetic maghemite (γ-Fe₂O₃) microspheres 20–30 μm in diameter prepared in aqueous solution can show excellent heat generating ability. However, these microspheres have many cracks on their surfaces. In this study, the preparation conditions for the microspheres was further optimized in order to obtain crack-free ferrimagnetic microspheres, and the in vitro heat generation of the obtained microspheres was measured in an agar phantom under an alternating magnetic field. Crack-free γ-Fe₂O₃ microspheres 20–30 μm in diameter were obtained successfully. Their saturation magnetization and coercive force were 68 emu g⁻¹ and 198 Oe, respectively. Their heat generation under an alternating magnetic field of 300 Oe at 100 kHz was estimated to be 42 W g⁻¹. The microspheres showed in vitro heat generation when they were dispersed in an agar phantom and placed under an alternating magnetic field. It is believed that these microspheres may be useful for the in situ hyperthermic treatment of cancer.     

Magnetization plateaus and thermodynamic properties of a ferrimagnetic Kagome-like nanoparticle under an applied magnetic field

Journal of Materials Science - Magnetic properties of a Kagome-like nanoparticle with a ferromagnetic exchange coupling described by the mixed-spin (5/2, 3/2) Ising model were studied, and unique...     

Preparation of magnetic and bioactive calcium zinc iron silicon oxide composite for hyperthermia treatment of bone cancer and repair of bone defects

In this paper, a calcium zinc iron silicon oxide composite (CZIS) was prepared using the sol-gel method. X-ray diffraction (XRD) was then employed to test the CZIS composite. The results from the test showed that the CZIS had three prominent crystalline phases: Ca(2)Fe(1.7)Zn(0.15)Si(0.15)O(5), Ca(2)SiO(4), and ZnFe(2)O(4). Calorimetric measurements were then performed using a magnetic induction furnace. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis were conducted to confirm the growth of a precipitated hydroxyapatite phase after immersion in simulated body fluid (SBF). Cell culture experiments were also carried out, showing that the CZIS composite more visibly promoted osteoblast proliferation than ZnFe(2)O(4) glass ceramic and HA, and osteoblasts adhered and spread well on the surfaces of composite samples.     

Synthesis and characterization of magnetic bioactive glass-ceramics containing Mg ferrite for hyperthermia

Novel magnetic bioactive glass-ceramics (M GC) were synthesized by doping Mg ferrite to wollastonite–fluorapatite-containing glass-ceramics. The phase composition was investigated by XRD. The magnetic property was measured by VSM. The in vitro bioactivity was investigated by simulated body fluid (SBF) soaking experiment. Cell growth on the surface of the material was evaluated by co-culturing osteoblast-like ROS17/2.8 cells with M GC. The results showed that CaSiO₃, Ca₂MgSi₂O₇, Ca₅(PO₄)₃F and Fe₂MgO₄ were the main phases of M GC. Under a magnetic field of 10,000 Oe, the saturation magnetization and coercive force of M GC were 7.2 emu/g and 175 Oe, respectively. After soaking in SBF for 14 days, a lot of hydroxyapatite containing CO₃^2? was observed on the surface of M GC. The experiment of co-culturing cells with M GC showed that osteoblast-like ROS17/2.8 cells could attach well on the surface of M GC. The material has the potential to be used as thermoseeds for hyperthermia.     

Effects of addition of bismuth oxide and glass on the properties of lithium ferrite for ferrimagnetic pastes

Lithium ferrite, Li_0.5Fe_2.5O₄, has been prepared by decomposition of organometallic complexes at 800° C, and the optimization of heating schedule for conversion into ferrite has been studied. The effects of addition of glass, essential for adhesion of the ferrite film to alumina substrates, and bismuth oxide, as a sintering aid, on the properties and densification of lithium ferrite have been examined. X-ray diffraction, electron probe micro analysis (EPMA) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques have been used to study the solubility and distribution of bismuth oxide, grain growth and pore morphology. It has been found that the addition of bismuth oxide (up to 1.5 wt%) improves densification and increases resistivity of the lithium ferrite but the addition of glass causes a reduction of the resistivity. Although bismuth oxide forms a solid solution, it is not uniformly distributed throughout the ferrite phase. It is shown that the addition of bismuth oxide improves the insertion loss in microwave devices fabricated using ferrimagnetic pastes.     

Effect of nano-sized bioactive glass particles on the angiogenic properties of collagen based composites

Angiogenesis is essential for tissue regeneration and repair. A growing body of evidence shows that the use of bioactive glasses (BG) in biomaterial-based tissue engineering (TE) strategies may improve angiogenesis and induce increased vascularization in TE constructs. This work investigated the effect of adding nano-sized BG particles (n-BG) on the angiogenic properties of bovine type I collagen/n-BG composites. Nano-sized (20–30 nm) BG particles of nominally 45S5 Bioglass^® composition were used to prepare composite films, which were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The in vivo angiogenic response was evaluated using the quail chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) as an model of angiogenesis. At 24 h post-implantation, 10 wt% n-BG containing collagen films stimulated angiogenesis by increasing by 41 % the number of blood vessels branch points. In contrast, composite films containing 20 wt% n-BG were found to inhibit angiogenesis. This experimental study provides the first evidence that addition of a limited concentration of n-BG (10 wt%) to collagen films induces an early angiogenic response making selected collagen/n-BG composites attractive matrices for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.     

氧化铋对微晶玻璃的相转变和性能的影响

为研究Bi2O3在堇青石基微晶玻璃烧结中的作用及其添加量对微晶玻璃的相转变和性能的影响,采用烧结法制备了不同Bi2O3含量的微晶玻璃,并对其进行了X射线衍射分析、显微分析和性能测试.结果表明:Bi2O3的加入降低了堇青石的u相向a相转变的温度,并有效促进微晶玻璃的烧结致密化;烧结样品的介电常数和抗折强度均随着Bi2O3加入量的增加而增加,且与密度变化规律相似;当Bi2O3添加量(质量分数)达5%时样品的介质损耗因子最低(＜10-3);微晶玻璃烧结样品的热膨胀系数基本符合线性规律.     

Influence of sodium oxide content on bioactive glass properties

The rate of in vivo degradation and level of bioactivity of bioactive glasses are composition dependent [1]. By altering bioactive glass composition, the rate of resorption can be controlled. The network connectivity of a glass can be used to predict various physical properties of the glass including its solubility and, hence, its bioactivity [2]. Glass solubility increases as network connectivity is reduced. Glasses in the soda-lime phosphosilicate system were studied. The initial choice of composition was based on phosphate content and low network connectivity. A systematic substitution of calcium oxide for sodium oxide on a molar basis was made in order to examine the influence of sodium oxide content on the glass properties while keeping the network connectivity constant. The glass transition temperature and the peak crystallization temperature were seen to decrease linearly with increasing sodium oxide content. Thermal expansion coefficient and glass density were also seen to be related to sodium oxide content. Preliminary in vitro biocompatibility studies revealed that the glasses of higher sodium oxide content were associated with a cytotoxic response. The measurement of media pH indicated that this cytotoxic effect was due to ion exchange reactions at the glass surface.     

Effect of surfactant concentration and composition on the structure and properties of sol-gel-derived bioactive glass foam scaffolds for tissue engineering

Bioactive glasses are known to have the ability to regenerate bone, and to release ionic biological stimuli that promote bone cell proliferation by gene activation, but their use has been restricted mainly to the form of powder, granules or small monoliths. Resorbable 3D macroporous bioactive scaffolds have been produced for tissue engineering applications by foaming sol-gel-derived bioactive glasses. The foams exhibit a hierarchical structure, with interconnected macropores (10–500 m), which provide the potential for tissue ingrowth and mesopores (2–50 nm), which enhance bioactivity and release of ionic products. The macroporous matrices were produced by the foaming of sol-gel glasses with the use of a surfactant. Three glass systems SiO₂, SiO₂-CaO and SiO₂-CaO-P₂O₅were foamed using various concentrations of surfactant, in order to investigate the effect of surfactant concentration and composition on the structure and properties of the hierarchical construct.     

Effect of plasticizer on production of bioactive synthetic calcium phosphates/glass composites and their properties

Bioactive synthetic calcium phosphates/glass composites have been produced using PVA as a plasticizer (0, 10, 15, 20 mass%). Changes in the linear, volumetric and weight parameters of samples upon sintering at 800 °C as well as in the density, porosity and compression strength have been investigated. It was established that all of the ceramics studied (both produced with and without PVA) exhibit a linear (0.7–1.9%) and volumetric (2.3–4.9%) shrinkage, which increases with using PVA and raising its content. The microstructure examination of samples obtained with a plasticizer revealed a complex porous morphology and the presence of complex-shaped 10–50 µm pores. An increase in PVA amount led to transformation of a flake-like structure and formation of particles of regular rounded shape. The pycnometric density did not depend on using PVA and equaled 2.58–2.61 g/cm³. PVA promoted an increase in the total porosity from 24.7 to 35.8% and a decrease in the density by 1.66 to 1.89%. Porosity increased proportionally to the amount of introduced PVA and was the highest for composites produced with 20 mass% addition of PVA. Open porosity dominated in all of the composites with PVA addition. The ultimate compression strength was in the range 42–93 MPa and reduced with increasing PVA amount.     

Si的添加对FeNiMoB合金非晶形成能力与软磁性能的影响

利用单铜辊甩带法制备Fe40Ni38Mo4B(18-x)Six(x=0,2,4,6,8,10和12)非晶合金带材,并用X射线衍射仪(XRD)、差示扫描量热仪(DSC)、振动样品磁强计(VSM)以及精密磁性器件分析仪研究Si元素对Fe Ni Mo BSi合金带材的非晶形成能力和软磁性能影响。结果表明,随着Si元素的添加,合金带材的矫顽力Hc先减小后增大,并在x=4时最小为5.8 A/m;Fe40Ni38Mo4B14Si4合金带材在405℃保温10 min热处理后获得较高的饱和磁化强度为112.63 A·m2/kg,在345℃保温10 min热处理后获得较低的矫顽力为7.0A/m。     

添加Ni对FeZrNbB合金的非晶形成能力与软磁性能的影响

利用单铜辊甩带法制备Fe(86-x)Zr2Nb2B10Nix(x=0、1、3和5)非晶合金带材。采用X射线衍射仪、差示扫描量热仪、振动样品磁强计以及精密磁性器件分析仪研究Ni元素对FeZrNbB合金带材的非晶形成能力和软磁性能影响。结果表明Ni元素能明显提高该体系合金的非晶形成能力,并使淬火态非晶合金带材的一级起始晶化温度提高;通过合金的退火处理,在Fe(86-x)Zr2Nb2B10Nix合金体系中含Ni元素的合金带材可以析出最小粒径为12(12.15)nm的α-Fe(a)纳米晶,获得较低的矫顽力为8.1A/m;其中Fe85Zr2Nb2B10Ni1非晶合金带材经过510℃保温20min热处理后可以获得较高的饱和磁感应强度为1.61T,有效磁导率提升到48.4k,矫顽力下降到8.3A/m。     

Effect of annealing in external magnetic field on the microstructure and magnetic properties of FePt films

We have studied the influence of annealing in an external magnetic field on the microstructure and magnetic properties of a multilayer Si/Fe(2 nm)/Fe₅₀Pt₅₀(20 nm)/Pt(2 nm) structure synthesized by means of sequential RF magnetron sputtering of the components. The magnetic field was oriented perpendicular to layers of the structure. It is established that annealing in the external magnetic field leads to the formation of predominant (001) texture in the multilayer structure with L1₀-FePt phase. Thus, a method of obtaining multilayer structures based on FePt films required for the perpendicular magnetic recording has been developed.     

Synthesis and piezoelectric properties of PZT-based glass–ceramics

Glass–ceramics based on a soft piezoelectric of composition (Pb_0.94Sr_0.06)(Zr_0.53Ti_0.47)_0.997Mn_0.004O₃ (PSZTM) have been synthesized using three different glass systems by sol–gel method. The effect of the different glass systems on the crystallization of the perovskite phase, PSZTM have been studied using XRD and DTA. The piezoelectric characteristics of the different glass–ceramic systems have been determined and are correlated with the crystallization behaviour, crystalline phase and microstructure.     

含锶硼酸盐基生物玻璃经晶化处理后对其溶解性能及体外生物活性的影响

通过对含锶硼酸盐基玻璃进行微晶化处理,以考察该玻璃由玻璃态转化为晶态时体外生物活性和降解性的改变。采用熔融法制备不同锶含量(n(SrO)=0、2%、6%)的硼硅酸盐生物玻璃,然后在700℃/4h条件下微晶化处理,分别获得微晶化前后的试样。将各组玻璃及微晶化的样品浸泡在类似于生理模拟液的0.02mol/L的K2HPO4溶液中(以1g玻璃对应100mL浸泡液的比例),置于37℃恒温条件下,进行体外生物矿化反应。用XRD和FT-IR对反应后产物进行表征,并测定不同浸泡时间下样品的质量损失率以及浸泡液的pH值。结果表明,微晶化处理前后的含锶的硼硅酸盐玻璃试样在浸泡实验中都可以转化成含锶羟基磷灰石,即微晶化后的试样仍然具有体外生物活性;并且微晶化后试样的离子溶出速度能够减缓,降低了原玻璃相对骨组织生长来说的较高的降解速度,可以更加匹配骨组织生长的周期。因此,微晶化处理硼硅酸盐玻璃可实现对降解速度的调控,使该微晶化的生物玻璃有可能在骨组织修复中得到临床应用。     

Effect of heat treatment on the electronic spectrum and mechanical properties of BeO ceramics

The full-potential linear muffin-tin orbital method with a generalized gradient approximation, in conjunction with experimental structural data obtained for BeO ceramics during heating-cooling cycles, was used to analyze the effect of heat treatment on the electronic structure of BeO and to evaluate the thermal expansion coefficients and bulk modulus of BeO ceramics. According to the calculation results, BeO remains a widegap semiconductor in the range 80–300 K, and its band gap varies by no more than ～0.02 eV. The bulk modulus of BeO ceramics (～170 GPa) is 18–25% lower than that of single-crystal BeO.     

Behaviour of MG-63 osteoblast-like cells on wood-based biomorphic SiC ceramics coated with bioactive glass

The aim of this study was to test the in vitro cytotoxicity of wood-based biomorphic Silicon Carbide (SiC) ceramics coated with bioactive glass, using MG-63 human osteoblast-like cells, with a view to their application in bone implantology. To better understand the scope of this study, it should be taken into account that biomorphic SiC ceramics have only recently been developed and this innovative product has important properties such as interconnected porosity, high strength and toughness, and easy shaping. In the solvent extraction test, all the extracts had almost no effect on cellular activity even at 100% concentration, and cells incubated in the bioactive glass-coated SiC ceramics extracts showed a proliferation rate similar to that of the Thermanox control. There were no significant differences when the cellular attachment response of the cells on the wood-based biomorphic SiC ceramics, uncoated or coated with bioactive glass, was compared to the one exhibited by reference materials like Ti6Al4V and bulk bioactive glass. This fact looks very promising for biomedical applications.