Wollastonite/forsterite composite scaffolds offer better surface for hydroxyapatite formation

Abstract

The present work deals with a comparative study of ceramic/ceramic composites for the development of scaffolds for biomedical applications. Wollastonite and forsterite were synthesized by a sol-gel combustion method. The influence of constituents and composition on apatite deposition was studied by fabricating wollastonite/forsterite composites. The X-ray diffraction pattern explains the bone like-apatite deposition within early stages of immersion. The atomic force microscopy micrographs revealed that with an increase in wollastonite content in the composites the roughness was enhanced. Dissolution studies further confirmed the rapid consumption of Ca and P ions from the simulated body fluid. Hence, apatite formation was observed to be more on the surface of a composite containing a higher amount of wollastonite. The results suggest that composites have more influence on the biomineralization activity when compared with pure bioceramics.