Synthesis of hydroxyapatite nanotubes for biomedical applications

• Published in: Materials Science & Engineering C Vol. 33; no. 5; pp. 2981 - 2986
• Main Authors: Chandanshive, Balasaheb B., Rai, Priyanka, Rossi, Andre L., Ersen, Ovidiu, Khushalani, Deepa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.07.2013
• Subjects: Alumina; Animals; Biocompatible Materials; Biomaterial; Durapatite - chemistry; Hydroxyapatite; Materials science; Mice; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; Nanotubes; NIH 3T3 Cells; Powder Diffraction; Sol gel process; Synthesis; Transmission electron microscopy; Tubes; Wall thickness; Hydroxyapatite; Biomaterial; Alumina; Nanotubes
• ISSN: 0928-4931; 1873-0191
• DOI: 10.1016/j.msec.2013.03.022

Single phase, stoichiometrically pure, hollow nanotubes of hydroxyapatite have been synthesized and single-particle analysis has been performed to successfully prove the sole formation of Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2 phase. The facile synthesis involves a sol–gel process under neutral conditions in the presence of a sacrifical anodic alumina template. The structures formed are hollow nanotubes that have been characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, SAED, EELS, EDS and BET measurements. The diameter of the resulting tubes is in the range of 140–350nm, length is on the order of a few microns and the wall thickness of the tubes was found to be ca. 30nm. Moreover these tubes had a large BET surface area of 115m2/g and were found to be biocompatible. They displayed inertness in the presence of NIH 3T3 mouse fibroblast cells as dictated by an MTT assay. •Formation of exclusively stoichiometrically pure, hydroxyapatite phase•Characterization performed on single hollow tubes to confirm HAp phase•Synthesis involves simple aqueous sol–gel synthesis under neutral conditions.•Potential of nanotubes to function in a biocompatible manner with fibroblast cells