Preparation and Properties of TiO₂-doped Boron-containing Bioactive Glass Bone Scaffolds

Boron-containing 45S5 bioactive glasses with different doping contents of TiO₂ (0-8 wt.%) were prepared by using melting method. The prepared glasses were ground into powder and uniformly mixed with photosensitive resin and photoinitiator as slurry. Three-dimensional porous bone scaffolds were prepared by using UV curing, 3D printing and high-temperature degreasing sintering technology. X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and universal testing machine were used to test and analyze the scaffolds, while scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to observe the scaffolds before and after soaking in simulated body fluid (SBF). The effects of TiO₂ doping on mechanical and biological properties of the scaffolds were studied. The TiO₂ was transferred from anatase to rutile with increasing temperature, which effectively improved the mechanical properties of the scaffolds. When the content of TiO₂ was 4 wt.%, the compressive strength of the scaffold reached (12.56±1.06) MPa, which meets the strength requirement of bone trabeculae for bone tissue engineering, while the scaffolds have sufficiently high bioactivity.