The structure of CaO–B2O3–P2O5 glasses

Boron oxide-containing bioactive glasses are noteworthy due to their unique properties and potential in biomedical applications. Boron plays a crucial role in various biological processes, and its deficiency has been associated with delayed bone growth. Boron-based bioactive glasses can be used as drug delivery systems for treating infections and conditions such as osteoporosis. They exhibit superior bioactivity and greater potential for bone healing compared to traditional silicate glasses.
Alkali borophosphate glasses have recently been investigated using Raman spectroscopic and ¹¹B and ³¹P MAS-NMR measurements [1]. It was shown that an increase in both alkali and borate content improves ionic conductivity. CaO–B₂O₃–P₂O₅ glasses were studied by Raman and infrared spectroscopy [2] and it was concluded that increasing the B₂O₃ content enhances the bioactivity of the glasses
Although several studies have been devoted to the structure and physical properties of boron-containing glasses [3–6], the connection between composition-induced structural changes and the bioactivity of the glasses is still not completely understood. The aim of our investigations is to obtain a reliable picture of both the B2O3-P2O5 host network and the environment of Ca (including Ca-cation and Ca-O correlations). To reach this goal we intend to combine a wide range of experimental techniques (neutron- and X-ray diffraction, IR, Raman, x-ray absorption spectroscopy) with classical molecular dynamics