Labeling of a self-hardening bone substitute using ruthenium tris-bipyridine complexes, for the analysis of its in vivo metabolism

A self-setting cellulose scaffold, used as a component of an injectable bone substitute, was labeled with ruthenium tris-bipyridine complexes functionalized by triethoxysilane groups. The labeling yield was found to vary according to the number and location of Si(OR)₃ groups present on the ruthenium complex backbone. For label loadings, less than 0.1 wt%, no significant modification of the rheological properties of the gel was observed.