Photothermal effect and antimicrobial properties of cerium-doped bioactive glasses

Cerium (Ce) ions exhibit multifunctional biological properties, such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anticancer properties. Consequently, the development of Ce-containing biomaterials with therapeutic characteristics has received considerable research attention. In this study, Ce-doped 13–93 bioactive glass (Ce-BG) was prepared using the conventional melt-quenching method. The physical phases, surface morphologies, elemental contents, and elemental valence states of the samples were analysed. The concentration of the ions released from the samples in deionised water was determined, and their ability to induce hydroxyapatite was evaluated. The photothermal properties were tested by irradiating the samples with an 808 nm laser. The results indicate that an increase in the Ce content within a certain range did not affect the amorphous structure and morphology of the bioactive glass. Ce content variation affected the photothermal effect of Ce-BG. The wet state powder sample could be rapidly heated up to 58.24 °C under 2 W/cm2 laser irradiation at 5 mol% Ce doping, showing the best photothermal performance. Further, bacterial experiments demonstrated the good antimicrobial effect of this sample. Simulated body fluid immersion experiments revealed the ability of the Ce-BG to induce hydroxyapatite production. Furthermore, in vitro cell culture studies showed that the Ce-BG was not toxic to MC3T3-E1 cells and induced cell proliferation after 3 days. Therefore, Ce-BG is a promising bioactive material because of its favourable photothermal effects, antimicrobial properties, and biocompatibility.