Search

Purpose The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of various mass fractions of 10-methacry-loyloxydecyl dihydrogen phosphate (MDP)-conditioned or unconditioned zirconia nano- or micro-particles with different initiator systems on the mechanical properties of nanohybrid resin composites. Methods Both light-cured (L) and dual-cured (D) resin composites were prepared. When the mass fraction of the nano- or micro-zirconia fillers reached 55 wt%, resin composites were equipped with dual-cured initiator systems. We measured the three-point bending-strength, elastic modulus, Weibull modulus and translucency parameter of the nanohybrid resin composites containing various mass fractions of MDP-conditioned or unconditioned zirconia nano- or micro-particles (0%, 5 wt%, 10 wt%, 20 wt%, 30 wt% and 55 wt%). A Cell Counting Kit (CCK)-8 was used to test the cell cytotoxicity of the experimental resin composites. The zirconia nano- or micro-particles with MDP-conditioning or not were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Results Resin composites containing 5-20 wt% MDP-conditioned or unconditioned nano-zirconia fillers exhibited better three-point bending-strength than the control group without zirconia fillers. Nano- or micro-zirconia fillers decreased the translucence of the nanohybrid resin composites. According to the cytotoxicity classification, all of the nano- or micro-zirconia fillers containing experimental resin composites were considered to have no significant cell cytotoxicity. The FTIR spectra of the conditioned nano- or micro-fillers showed new absorption bands at 1719 cm-1 and 1637 cm-1, indicating the successful combination of MDP and zirconia particles. The XPS analysis measured Zr-O-P peak area on MDP-conditioned nano- and micro-zirconia fillers at 39.91% and 34.89%, respectively. Conclusion Nano-zirconia filler improved the mechanical properties of nanohybrid resin composites, but cannot be the main filler to replace silica filler. The experimental dual-cured composites can be resin cements with better opacity effects and a low viscosity.

To investigate the effects of 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES)- or (3-mercaptopropyl)trimethoxysilane (MPTS)-conditioned nanozirconia fillers on the mechanical properties of Bis-GMA-based resin composites. The conditioned fillers were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and thermodynamic calculations. They were then used to prepare Bis-GMA-based resin composites, whose flexural strength and elastic modulus were evaluated. The Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assessed the composites' cytotoxicity. The FTIR spectra of the conditioned fillers showed new absorption bands at 1569 and 1100 cm-1, indicating successful grafting of APTES or MPTS onto nanozirconia. XPS confirmed the Zr-O-Si bonds in the APTES- or MPTS-conditioned fillers at contents of 2.02 and 6.98%, respectively. Thermodynamic calculations reaffirmed the chemical binding between the two silanes and nanozirconia fillers. Composites containing the conditioned nanozirconia fillers had significantly greater flexural strengths (APTES, 121.02 ± 8.31 MPa; MPTS, 132.80 ± 15.80 MPa; control, 94.84 ± 9.28 MPa) and elastic moduli (8.76 ± 0.52, 9.24 ± 0.60, and 7.44 ± 0.83 GPa, respectively) than a control with untreated fillers. The cytotoxicity assay identified no significant cytotoxicity by composites containing the conditioned fillers. Silanes were previously considered to be unable to chemically condition zirconia to bond with resin. Inclusion of APTES- or MPTS-conditioned nanozirconia fillers can improve the mechanical properties of Bis-GMA-based resin composites without obvious cytotoxicity in this study.

Poor osteogenesis caused by limited bioactivity is one of the challenges affecting the use of zirconia-based materials as implants. In this study, four representative silanes with different end groups [γ-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (γ-MPS, with a vinyl end group), methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS, methyl end), 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane (MPTS, mercapto end), and 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES, amino end)] were grafted on a Y-TZP surface with the purpose of improving its osteogenic activity. Thermodynamic and analytical chemistry results confirmed that the terminal alkoxy groups of the silanes could condense with the hydroxyl groups on the zirconia surface to form covalent Zr–O–Si bonds; in particular, mercapto- terminated silanes were more effective at combining with zirconia than hydrophobic vinyl- and methyl-terminated silanes. Y-TZP modified with mercapto- and amino-terminated silanes showed improved hydrophilicity, which in turn promoted cell adhesion and growth. In vitro cell experiments showed that mercapto- and amino-terminated silanes promoted osteogenic differentiation and mineralization by increasing osteocalcin (OCN) and osterix (OSX) expression levels, while vinyl- and methyl-terminal silanes exhibited inhibitory effects on the collagen type 1 (COL-1), Runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), and OCN expressions. Therefore, grafting mercapto- and amino-terminal silanes is a simple and effective strategy for enhancing the osteogenic potential of Y-TZP implants.