Tuncer, MelisaYucesoy, Deniz T.Karakus, Ceyda Oksel2025-03-252025-03-2520251047-48381543-1851https://doi.org/10.1007/s11837-025-07167-8https://hdl.handle.net/11147/15429Nanostructured bioactive glass (BG) was synthesized through an acid-free sol-gel route (bioglass-AF) and the conventional acid-catalyst sol-gel process (bioglass-AC). The aim here is to eliminate the risk of residual acidic components in the BG while enhancing its functionality through nano-scale propduction. Scanning electron microscopy revealed the presence of highly porous structures and dense agglomerates composed of particles with a mean diameter of 45 nm in both samples. Bioglass-AC and bioglass-AF had specific surface areas of 1.48 m(2)/g and 2.73 m(2)/g, respectively, with an average pore size of similar to 5 nm. Faster mineralization kinetics were evident in bioglass-AF, compared to bioglass-AC, in Hepes-buffered salt solution. Following 14 days of immersion in artificial saliva, bioglass-AC and bioglass-AF lost 16% and 20% of their initial weight, respectively, confirming their bioactivity. None of the synthesized BGs stimulated cell growth up to 24 h but longer exposure to moderate concentrations (1.25 and 2.5 mg/mL) of bioglass-AF significantly enhanced cell viability, reaching 170% at 48 h. Overall, the comparative in vitro investigations proved that nano-structured 45S5 bioglass powders with improved mineralization and dissolution kinetics can be produced with an acid-free route, eliminating the risk of residual acidic components in the final product.eninfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessArticle2-s2.0-8521884087210.1007/s11837-025-07167-8