Articles
  • Titanium diboride nanopowders: New horizons for the enhancement of in vitro bioactivity and bone regeneration

  • Chuang Qiana,#, Peiwei Yangb,#, Lihong Hec and Meixiong Zhand,*

  • aDepartment of Orthopedics, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, National Children's Medical Center, Shanghai, 201102, China
    bDepartment of Orthopedics, The 910th Hospital of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Joint Logistic Support Force, Quanzhou, Fujian, 362000, China
    cDepartment of General Practice, The General Hospital of Western Theater Command of Chinese People's Liberation Army, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610000, China
    dDepartment of Orthopedics, Jiujiang Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jiujiang, Jiangxi, 332000, China

  • This article is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Bone regeneration is a critical focus in biomedical research, necessitating materials that enhance osteogenesis and integrate well with bone tissue. This study investigates titanium diboride (TiB₂) nanopowders synthesized through mechanical attrition, assessing their microstructural properties and in vitro bioactivity in simulated body fluid (SBF). X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed distinct phase compositions influenced by varying magnesium (Mg) and aluminum (Al) contents in the precursor materials, with only TiB₂ remaining post-leaching in the 100% Mg system. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) images indicated that the 100% Mg system exhibited a homogeneous microstructure with flower-like TiB₂ structures, while the mixed systems showed significant agglomeration. In vitro bioactivity tests demonstrated that the TiB₂ in the pure Mg system formed a thicker apatite layer compared to the systems containing Al, suggesting enhanced bioactivity likely due to improved ionic interactions and surface reactivity. This study provides foundational insights into TiB₂’s potential as a novel material for orthopedic applications.


Keywords: Biomaterials, TiB₂, Mechanical attrition, Phase transformation, Bioactivity.

This Article

  • 2025; 26(5): 894-900

    Published on Oct 31, 2025

  • 10.36410/jcpr.2025.26.5.894
  • Received on Apr 28, 2025
  • Revised on Jun 30, 2025
  • Accepted on Jul 3, 2025

Correspondence to

  • Meixiong Zhan

  • Department of Orthopedics, Jiujiang Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jiujiang, Jiangxi, 332000, China
    Tel : +86 18370291626 Fax: +86 18370291626

  • E-mail: zhan198706@outlook.com