Nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite bioceramic using microwave radiation: Synthesis and characterization

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Materials Chemistry
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Hydroxyapatite (HAp) is a key biomaterial for bone regeneration.
• Conventional synthesis methods for HAp can be time-consuming and energy-intensive.
• Developing efficient methods for producing nano-sized HAp is crucial for advanced applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize bioactive hydroxyapatite (Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2, HAp) ceramic powder in the nano-regime.
• To investigate the advantages of using microwave radiation for HAp synthesis.
• To characterize the synthesized nanocrystalline HAp powder.

Main Methods:

• Microwave-assisted synthesis using calcium nitrate tetrahydrate and sodium phosphate dibasic anhydrous.
• EDTA as a complexing agent, with pH adjusted to 9 using ammonium hydroxide.
• Characterization using XRD, SEM, HR-TEM, EDS, TG/DTA, and FT-IR.

Main Results:

• Highly crystalline HAp nano-powder (5-30nm) was successfully synthesized.
• Average crystallite size determined as 12nm using the Scherrer formula.
• Powder exhibited mixed elliptical and rod-shaped morphology with typical apatite structure and lower dehydroxylation temperature compared to micron-sized HAp.

Conclusions:

• Microwave radiation offers an efficient route for synthesizing nanocrystalline HAp.
• The synthesized nano-HAp possesses favorable characteristics for potential biomedical applications.
• The study highlights the advantages of microwave synthesis in terms of reduced thermal dehydroxylation temperature.