Abstract
The traditional method of preparing partial‐stabilized cement (PSC), which is a kind of calcium silicate cement, is through power mixing method. Low reaction efficiency and initial strength limited the application of PSC as a dental root‐end filling material. This study provides a one‐step sol–gel process for the synthesis of PSC. A complexing ligand is used for tuning down the activity of aluminum sec‐butoxide (ASB) in order to avoid possible self‐polymerization. After the modification with complex ligand, there is no residue of reactant observed on the analysis of SDT, and bonding between metal atoms is observed in the FTIR spectrum. Each component of PSC is identified using XRD. The hydration product, which is called portlandite, of sol–gel‐synthesized PSC is observed after 1 day of hydration, and crystallinity of portlandite increases much faster than that of traditional PSC. The initial strength of sol–gel‐synthesized PSC achieves detectable level 24 h earlier than that of traditional PSC; microhardness value of sol–gel‐synthesized PSC at 7th day is 2.98 HV, which is much higher than that of traditional PSC (2.05 HV). PSC is successfully synthesized and the initial strength of PSC is improved by this modified sol–gel process. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res, 2008