Structural and thermoluminescence properties of lithium borate glass matrices under UV and beta radiation.

In the present work, glass samples in the (100 - x)B2O3-xLi2O binary system, with x varying from 30 to 50 mol%, were prepared using the conventional melting and moulding method, with the main objective of evaluating the thermoluminescence response when exposing these materials to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Complementary analysis based on density, optical absorption on the UV-visible region (UV-vis absorbance), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy on the medium region, X-ray diffraction, and differential thermal analysis measurements were performed. Thermoluminescence measurements of vitreous samples showed glow curves with at least one peak with a maximum temperature of ~170°C after exposure to UV radiation in the temperature range 50-250°C. Samples were also exposed to beta radiation in the temperature range 25-275°C, also showing single peaks with a maximum temperature of ~150°C.

Structural, photoluminescence, and optical characteristics of a Sm3+ -doped lead borate-strontium-tungsten glass system: Evaluation of Judd-Ofelt intensity parameters and radiative properties.

In this study, the melt quenching approach is used to synthesize a lead borate-strontium-based glass system doped with samarium ions. Modifications in the glass network structure arising from the addition of various concentrations of Sm3+ ions were investigated via Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. FTIR analysis revealed B-O-B bridges, BO3 , and BO4 units are present. UV-vis-NIR spectroscopic measurement was performed to study the optical absorption spectra. Optical constants such as optical bandgap energies, refractive indices, and other related parameters were evaluated. The lifetime fluorescence decay was measured and ranged between 1.04 and 1.88 ns. The photoluminescence spectra in the range 500-750 nm revealed four transitions from the ground state 6 G5/2 to the excited states 6 H5/2 , 6 H7/2 , 6 H9/2 and 6 H11/2 and J-O theory was utilized to study these optical transitions for Sm3+ ions. Calculations of the oscillator strengths and J-O intensity parameters were performed and the obtained J-O parameters followed the sequence Ω4 > Ω6 > Ω2 . The ratio O/R indicated a high lattice asymmetry around the samarium ions. The values of lifetimes and branching ratios for the fabricated samples emphasized their suitability to be used in laser applications. The current glass samples are good candidates for orange and red emission devices.

Comprehensive study for radiation shielding features for Bi2O3-B2O3-ZnO composite using computational radioanalytical Phy-X/PSD, MCNP5, and SRIM software.

The current study uses zinc oxide doping nanoparticles to investigate the radiation shielding properties of bismuth borate glass. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) examined the structural characteristics of the current samples. In contrast, the optical properties were determined based on the absorption spectrum for current samples. Appraisal studies are carried out depending on the simulation capabilities of Phy-X/PSD software in conjunction with MCNP5 to achieve this goal. In addition, the neutron and charged particle shielding properties were evaluated theoretically. All glasses are amorphous, as confirmed by the XRD data, and the FTIR data showed several vibration bands and functional groups. The density showed rising from 5.981 to 6.433 g/cm3 with adding ZnO. The band gap values reduced from 2.831 to 2.091 eV for direct and 3.024 to 2.218 eV for indirect with adding ZnO. The investigations' findings demonstrate a strong agreement between the theoretical and simulation-derived estimates of the mass attenuation coefficient. The relative difference of MAC results lie in the range 0.106-2.941% for BBZ0, 0.105-4.348% for BBZ1, 0.105-3.398% for BBZ2, and 0.105-2.032% for BBZ3. The study's findings are valuable insights from thoroughly examining these parameters, which can potentially improve the radiation protection abilities of Bi2O3-B2O3-ZnO glasses. This study represents a significant step in developing more efficient and safer materials for gamma radiation shielding applications.

Inside the Borate Anomaly: Leveraging a Predictive Modelling Approach to Navigate Complex Composition-Structure-Property Relationships in Oxyhalide Borate Glasses.

This study employs a systematic and predictive modelling approach to investigate the structure and properties of multi-component borate glasses. In particular, this work is focused on understanding the individual and interaction effects of multiple constituents on several material properties. By leveraging advanced modeling techniques, this work examines how the inclusion and variation of B2O3, CaF2, TiO2, ZnO, and Na2CO3 influence the glass network, with particular attention to modifier fractions ≥ 30 mol%. This research addresses the gap in knowledge regarding the complex behavior of borate glasses in this high modifier fraction range, known as the borate anomaly, where prediction of glass structure and properties becomes particularly challenging. The use of a design of mixtures (DoM) approach facilitated the generation of polynomial equations indicating the influence of mixture components on various responses, enabling the prediction and optimization of glass properties over broad compositional ranges despite being within the anomalous region. This methodical approach not only advances our understanding of borate glass systems but also underscores the importance of predictive modelling in the accelerated design and development of novel glass materials for diverse applications.

Bioactive Glass and Silica Particles for Skeletal and Cardiac Muscle Tissue Regeneration.

When skeletal and cardiac tissues are damaged, surgical approaches are not always successful and tissue regeneration approaches are investigated. Reports in the literature indicate that silica nanoparticles and bioactive glasses (BGs), including silicate bioactive glasses (e.g., 45S5 BG), phosphate glass fibers, boron-doped mesoporous BGs, borosilicate glasses, and aluminoborates, are promising for repairing skeletal muscle tissue. Silica nanoparticles and BGs have been combined with polymers to obtain aligned nanofibers and to maintain controlled delivery of nanoparticles for skeletal muscle repair. The literature indicates that cardiac muscle regeneration can be also triggered by the ionic products of BGs. This was observed to be due to the release of vascular endothelial growth factor and other growth factors from cardiomyocytes, which regulate endothelial cells to form capillary structures (angiogenesis). Specific studies, including both in vitro and in vivo approaches, are reviewed in this article. The analysis of the literature indicates that although the research field is still very limited, BGs are showing great promise for muscle tissue engineering and further research in the field should be carried out to expand our basic knowledge on the application of BGs in muscle (skeletal and cardiac) tissue regeneration. Impact statement This review highlights the potential of silica particles and bioactive glasses (BGs) for skeletal and cardiac tissue regeneration. These biomaterials create scaffolds triggering muscle cell differentiation. Ionic products from BGs stimulate growth factors, supporting angiogenesis in cardiac tissue repair. Further research is required to expand our know-how on silica particles and BGs in muscle tissue engineering.

3D-printed hydrogels dressings with bioactive borate glass for continuous hydration and treatment of second-degree burns.

Recent advances in additive manufacturing have led to the development of innovative solutions for tissue regeneration. Hydrogel materials have gained significant attention for burn wound treatment in clinical practice among various advanced dressings due to their soothing and moisturizing activity. However, prolonged healing, pain, and traumatic removal due to the lack of long-term wound hydration are some of the challenges in the treatment of second-degree burn wounds. In this study, 3D-printed dressings were fabricated using gelatin, alginate, and bioactive borate glass (BBG) using an extrusion-based bioprinter. After ionic crosslinking, the 3D-printed dressings were characterized for mechanical properties, degradation rate, hydration activity, and in vitro cell viability using human fibroblasts. The results demonstrated that in 3D-printed dressings with 20 wt% BBG, Young's modulus increased by 105%, and 10-day degradation rate decreased by 62%. Addition of BBG prevented the burst release of water from hydrogel dressings and enabled the continuous water release for up to 10 days, which is crucial in treating second-degree burn wounds. 3D-printed hydrogel dressings with BBG showed long-term cell viability that can be a result of the accumulative release of therapeutic ions from BBG particulate. The in vivo wound healing functionality of the dressings was investigated using a rat model with a second-degree burn wound. Our animal study showed that the 3D-printed dressings with BBG exhibited faster wound closure, non-adhesive contact, non-invasive debridement, and non-traumatic dressing removal. Histological analysis suggested that 3D-printed dressings contributed to more uniform re-epithelialization and tissue remodeling compared to the non-printed hydrogels of the same compositions. Critically, 3D-printed dressings with BBG led to significant regeneration of hair follicles compared to the 3D-printed hydrogel, non-printed hydrogel, and the control groups. The superior outcome of the 3D-printed hydrogel-BBG20 dressings can be attributed to the bioactive formulation, which promotes moist wound healing for longer time periods, and the non-adhesive porous texture of the 3D-printed dressings with increased wound-dressing interactions. Our findings provided proof of concept for the synergistic effect of bioactive formulation and the porous texture of the 3D-printed hydrogel dressings incorporated with BBG on continuous water release and, consequently, on second-degree burn wound healing.