Synthesis and in vitro bioactivity of forsterite nanocrystallite powder

Nanostructured biomaterials promote osteoblast adhesion and proliferation, osseointegration, and the deposition of calcium containing minerals on the surface of these materials [1]. It is possible to enhance both mechanical and biological performance of bioceramics by controlling characteristic features of powders such as particle size, particle distribution [2, 3]. Some Si and Mg containing ceramics have drawn interestsin the development of bone implant materials [4]. Forsterite (Mg2SiO4) and enstatite (MgSiO3) are important materials in the magnesia–silica system [5]. Previous research suggests that, enstatite and forsterite posses good biocompatibility and might be suitable for potential application like bone implant material [6, 7]. In 2007, Siyu Ni et al. reported that, the degradation rate of forsterite ceramic with micron crystal size wasextremely low, and the apatite-formation ability was also poor [8]. In this study, a novel modified sol-gel method was used to synthesize pure forsterite nanocrystallite powder. The bioactivity of forsterite nanocrystallite powder was evaluated by soaking them in SBF