Ceramics and glasses are widely used materials in medicine, mostly for implants. Classical ceramics, like alumina (Al₂O₃) and zirconia (ZrO₂) are valued because of their high mechanical properties and bioinert qualities. Other ceramics and glasses have showed bioactive properties, supporting or enhancing regeneration of damaged tissues, like bone. Bioactive ceramics, like hydroxyapatites (HAp) and bioactive glasses, are therefore very interesting and promising materials for bone substitution and repair. Especially mechanical properties, chemical composition and surface science are areas of further improvement, to produce the ideal biomaterial. We develop macroporous ceramic foams as bone substitutes, tissue engineering substrates or bioreactors, consisting of Al₂O₃ and HAp. Furthermore we produce bioactive glasses with varying compositions through different techniques, some of them mesoporous, which is interesting in many aspects of life sciences, e.g. drug release. Additionally we develop biodegradable composite materials to improve mechanical and chemical properties of ceramics and glasses, and surface coatings to improve bioactivity and cell and tissue adhesion of bioinert materials.

Topics

• macroporous ceramic foams for tissue engineering and bone regeneration
• melt derived bioglass with varying chemical composititions
• sol-gel derived mesoporous bioglass for drug release
• bioglass-polylactide composite powders for additive manufacturing of implants
• metal-polymer composites with electrical and chemical stimulation as biomaterials
• PLGA or protein consisting scaffolds for tissue engineering
• functional coatings on silicone, titanium and oxide ceramics to enhance wettability, cell adhesion

 Contact: Prof. Dr. A. Gurlo (gurlo(at)ceramics.tu-berlin.de)