A Resin-Ceramic Composite with Biomimetic Nacre Structure Containing Nano-Zno Used for Prosthodontics

Abstract

The enhancement of mechanical and biological properties in dental restoration materials holds significant importance. Drawing inspiration from the architecture and mechanical properties of natural nacre, we employed a low-cost accumulative rolling process to develop resin-ceramic composites with suitable hardness and high toughness. Plate-like aluminum oxide powder with diameters of 5-10μm and nano-ZnO with antibacterial properties were mixed as the ceramic phase of the composite. The aluminum oxide ceramic plates were stacked using an accumulative rolling process to achieve consistent orientation, followed by sintering to obtain porous ceramic scaffolds. The ceramic scaffolds were subsequently infiltrated with methyl methacrylate resin to finish the fabrication of biomimetic composites. The composites were subjected to comprehensive testing of their mechanical and biological properties. The composites have suitable hardness (1.09-1.63 GPa), excellent flexural strength (156.7-167.8 MPa) and fracture toughness (KIC=2.66-3.59 MPa m1/2). Biomimetic composites are expected mitigate the wear of natural teeth without experiencing fractures or deformations, while also exhibited excellent cytocompatibility and certain antibacterial activity. The present study investigates the factors influencing crack propagation in fracture tests, while also providing insights into enhancing the toughness of dental restorative materials. Biomimetic resin-ceramic composites containing nano-ZnO developed in this study have the potential to be used as functional dental restoration materials.

Keywords: Resin-ceramic composite, Composite, Ceramic toughening, zinc oxide, Antibacterial, Prosthodontics