1Three novel borosilicate bioactive glasses (BBGs) of general formula of 0.05Na2O0.35x 2 0.20B2O30.40SiO2 (molar ratio, where x = MgO or CaO or SrO) were prepared and used to 3 investigate the effect of crystallisation on their properties including cytotoxicity. The three post-4 melt compositions were determined using X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy and crystallisation 5 events were studied using differential thermal analysis and x-ray diffraction. This information was 6 used to determine heat treatments to prepare glass-ceramics by controlled crystallisation. X-ray 7 diffraction analysis and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed that, after higher heat 8 treatment temperatures (800-900 ºC), borosilicate bioactive glass-ceramics (BBGCs) contained 9 mainly borate and silicate crystalline phases. Specifically, BBG-Mg, BBG-Ca and BBG-Sr glass-10 ceramics detected the presence of magnesium silicate-Mg2(SiO3)2 and magnesium borate-Mg2B2O5; 11 wollastonite-2M-CaSiO3 and calcium borate-Ca(BO2)2; and strontium silicate-SrSiO3 and strontium 12 borate-Sr2B2O5, respectively. In vitro cytotoxicity tests were performed using the mouse fibroblast 13 cell line (L929). Glass and glass ceramic at concentrations lower than 50 mg/ml did not exhibit any 14 level of cytotoxicity when compared with the control. However, quantitative evaluation indicated 15 that greater cell growth occurred in the presence of materials with crystalline phases.
Control of 16BBGs crystallisation may therefore be used to influence the biocompatibility of these glass-ceramic 17 systems. 18