ZnO quantum dots modified bioactive glass nanoparticles with pH-sensitive release of Zn ions, fluorescence, antibacterial and osteogenic properties

, but ZnO-BGN inhibited the relative proliferation of hMSC compared to BGN and the control according to the MTT assay. Notably ZnO-BGN improved the osteogenic differentiation of hMSC as indicated by the determination of the alkaline phosphatase activity. In conclusion, coating quantum dots on BGN is a promising strategy to produce Zn-containing BGN. The synthesized ZnO-BGN are potential materials for bone regeneration, considering their apatite-forming ability, unique ion-release behavior, effective antibacterial activity, non-cytotoxicity, and osteogenic potential.