  Mesoporous bioactive glasses, MBG, are gaining increasing interest in the
design of new biomaterials for bone defects treatment. An important research
trend to enhance their biological behavior is the inclusion of moderate amounts
of oxides with therapeutical action such as CuO. In this paper, MBG with
composition were synthesized, investigating the influence of the CuO content
and some synthesis parameters in their properties. Two batch were developed;
first one using HCl as catalyst and chlorides as CaO and CuO precursors, second
one, using HNO3 and nitrates. MBG of chlorides batch exhibited calcium/copper
phosphate nanoparticles, between 10 and 20 nm. Nevertheless, CuO- containing
MBG of nitrates batch showed nuclei of metallic copper nanoparticles larger
than 50 nm and quicker in vitro bioactive responses. Thus, they were coated by
an apatite-like layer after 24 h soaked in simulated body fluid, a remarkably
short period for MBG containing up to 5 % of CuO. A model, focused in the
copper location in the glass network, was proposed to relate nanostructure and
in vitro behaviour. Moreover, after 24 h in MEM or THB culture media, all the
MBG released therapeutic amounts of Ca2+ and Cu2+ ions. Because the quick
bioactive response in SBF, the capacity to host biomolecules in their pores and
to release therapeutic concentrations of Ca2+ and Cu2+ ions, MBG of the nitrate
batch are considered as excellent biomaterials for bone regeneration.
