Biomimetic apatite formation on different polymeric microspheres modified with calcium silicate solutions

Bioactive polymeric microspheres can be produced by pre-coating them with a calcium silicate solution and the subsequent soaking in a simulated body fluid (SBF). Such combination should allow for the development of bioactive microspheres for several applications in the medical field including tissue engineering. In this work, three types of polymeric microspheres with different sizes were used: (i) ethylene-vinyl alcohol co-polymer (20-30 μm), (ii) polyamide 12 (10-30 μm) and (iii) polyamide 12 (300 μm). These microspheres were soaked in a calcium silicate solution at 36.5°C for different periods of time under several conditions. Afterwards, they were dried in air at 100°C for 24 hrs. Then, the samples were soaked in SBF for 1, 3 and 7 days. Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy, thin-film X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy showed that after the calcium silicate treatment and the subsequent soaking in SBF, the microspheres successfully formed a bonelike apatite layer on their surfaces in SBF within 7 days due to the formation of silanol (Si-OH) groups that are quite effective for apatite formation.