Synthesis and Characterization of Glass Ionomer- Forsterite Nanocomposites and Study of the Effect of Adding Forsterite Nanoparticles on Mechanical Properties and Bioactivity

The objective of this study was to synthesize glass ionomer–forsterite nanocomposite and study the effect of incorporating forsterite nanoparticles to the ceramic part of glass ionomer cement in order to improve mechanical properties and bioactivity. So، Forsterite nanoparticles were made by the sol-gel process using different weight percentages added to the ceramic part of commercial GIC (Fuji II GC). X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used in order to characterize and determine grain size of the produced forsterite nanopowder. In order to study the mechanical properties of the produced glass ionomer cement-forsterite nanocomposite، the compressive strength (CS)، three-point flexural strength (FS) and diametral tensile strength (DTS) of specimens were measured. Statistical analysis was done by one Way ANOVA and differences were considered significant if P‹0. 05. The morphology of fracture surface of specimens was studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) technique. Bioactivity of specimens was investigated by Fourier transitioned-infrared spectroscopy (FTIR)، scanning electron microscopy (SEM)، and Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The results of XRD analysis confirmed the nanocrystalline and pure forsterite synthesis. According to the mechanical properties measurements، the optimum weight percentages of forsterite nanoparticles for enhancement of CS، FS، and DTS were obtained equal to 3، 1 and 1 wt. %، respectively. Statistical analysis showed that the differences between all the groups were significant (P<0. 05). SEM images and results of the ICP-OES and FTIR tests confirmed the bioactivity of the nanocomposite. Glass ionomer-forsterite nanocomposite containing 1 to 3 wt. %-forsterite nanoparticles can be a suitable candidate for dentistry and orthopedic applications due to the improvement of mechanical properties and bioactivity.