Incorporation of Group-13 Elements into Bioactive Glasses: New Structure and Function Relations Uncovered by Advanced Solid-State NMR Techniques.
The focus of my PhD project is to develop the potential of solid-state magnetic resonance (NMR and EPR) methods to provide information about the structural integration of Group-13 into bioactive glasses. Bioactive glass-ceramics have been widely investigated due to their ability to bond to bone without forming fibrous tissue around them. The incorporation of small amounts of Boron into the bioglasses enhances their mechanical, thermal, and chemical stability, imparts to them an antibacterial function, and improve their biocompatibility. The goal of this project is to explore how the speciation of Group-13 elements (Boron, Aluminum and Gallium) is determined by the glass composition and how it relates to materials performance and function. To characterize glass structure as well the crystalline phase and its effects, standard magic angle spinning (MAS), multiple quantum-MAS and high-resolution dipolar methods are applied to investigate the network structure and cations biding. The result can facilitate our understanding of bioactivity, biocompatibility, and mechanical stability.