Barium Strontium Titanate-Hydroxyapatite Nanocomposites: Characterization of Electrical, Mechanical, and Biological Properties for Enhanced Bone Regeneration

Electrets and piezoelectric materials hold immense promise for enhancing bone regeneration strategies. Barium titanate and its solid solutions hold significant potential for bone regeneration strategies. However, addressing the challenges related to biocompatibility, optimization, and manufacturing is essential before the possible clinical applications. This study focuses on barium strontium titanate (BST)-hydroxyapatite (HA) scaffolds as a potential bone growth enhancer. Ba_0.5Sr_0.5TiO₃ is prepared by mixing the barium titanate and strontium titanate commercial nano powders and HA is synthesized using the sol–gel method, and BST-xHA composite samples are fabricated using conventional solid-state method. The samples are sintered at 1200–1300 °C, and the phase structure, microstructure, density, and electrical and mechanical properties are evaluated. Biological assessments, including MTT tests, are conducted. The electrical properties of composite samples improve, and the one with 20 wt% HA shows the highest amount of fracture toughness. Importantly, MTT assay results confirm the nontoxic nature of the BST-HA composite samples with the best OD value in BST-40 HA composite sample, making it a promising candidate for bone regeneration applications.