Elucidation of the Structural Role of Fluorine in Potentially Bioactive Glasses by Experimental and Computational Investigation

Glasses belonging to the Na2O-CaO-P2O5-SiO2 system and modified by CaF2 substitution for CaO and Na2Oalternatively, were synthesized and characterized experimentally and computationally. The results of moleculardynamics simulations show that fluorine is almost exclusively bonded to modifier cations (Ca and Na) withcoordination number close to 4. A similar mean coordination number value is found in the crystal phasesobtained by means of thermal treatment at fixed temperature. Addition of fluorine increases the polymerizationof silicate tetrahedra by removing modifiers from the siliceous matrix. No appreciable amount of Si-F bondsare detected.