Synthetic CaSiO3 sol-gel powder and SPS ceramic derivatives: In vivo toxicity assessment

The paper presents template strategy using siloxane-acrylate latex and its modified form to prepare nanostructured calcium silicate (wollastonite) containing nanosized gold and regular porosity. Optimal conditions for the annealing of silicate xerogel were outlined leading to nanoporous wollastonite with minimal porous defects (pore size corresponds to latex particles 150-200 nm). The fabrication of nanostructured wollastonite ceramics was suggested to use spark plasma sintering (SPS). The formation of porous ceramic framework (compressive strength similar to 120 MPa) via SPS consolidation of silicate xerogel (xonotlite) contained latex template (poreformer), a feature of the method for wollastonite template synthesis. The ceramic wollastonite samples have been implanted into ICR/CD1 mice to test the toxicity of the material in vivo. The results are of great interest for the preparation of high-quality biomaterials for modern medicine using simple technological approaches and available raw materials.