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Updated: Jun 12, 2026

Rapid Mix Preparation of Bioinspired Nanoscale Hydroxyapatite for Biomedical Applications
Published on: February 23, 2017
Hydroxyapatite formation from cuttlefish bones: kinetics
H Ivankovic1, E Tkalcec, S Orlic
1Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia. hivan@fkit.hr
Cuttlefish bones were hydrothermally transformed into highly porous hydroxyapatite (HA). This process preserved bone structure while forming novel HA nanostructures, offering potential for biomaterial applications.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Materials Chemistry
- Biomineralization
Background:
- Cuttlefish bones, primarily composed of aragonite, are a potential source for biomaterials.
- Hydrothermal methods offer a pathway for transforming natural materials into functional composites.
- Understanding the kinetics and microstructural evolution is crucial for optimizing HA synthesis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize highly porous hydroxyapatite (HA) from cuttlefish bones using hydrothermal treatment.
- To investigate the kinetics, mechanism, and structural evolution during the transformation process.
- To characterize the phase composition, microstructure, and morphology of the resulting HA.
Main Methods:
- Hydrothermal transformation of cuttlefish bones at temperatures from 140-220°C.
- Quantitative X-ray diffraction (XRD) with Rietveld refinement for phase analysis.
- Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) for chemical composition and substitution analysis.
- Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for microstructural and morphological examination.
- Johnson-Mehl-Avrami (JMA) analysis for transformation kinetics.
Main Results:
- Successful conversion of aragonitic cuttlefish bone to hydroxyapatite (HA) within 20 minutes to 48 hours.
- Preservation of the original cuttlefish bone architecture and channel size (~80 × 300 μm).
- Formation of dandelion-like HA spheres (3-8 μm) transforming into nanoplates and nanorods (200-300 nm diameter, 8-10 μm length).
- Identification of B-type CO(3)(2-) substitutions in the HA structure via FTIR.
- Kinetics analysis indicated a diffusion-controlled, one-dimensional growth mechanism of HA.
Conclusions:
- Hydrothermal treatment is an effective method for converting cuttlefish bones into porous hydroxyapatite.
- The process preserves the macro-architecture of the bone while creating novel nanoscale HA structures.
- The resulting HA biomaterial exhibits potential for applications in bone regeneration and tissue engineering.
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