Synthesis of nanocrystalline fluorinated hydroxyapatite by microwave processing and its in vitro dissolution study

Abstract

Synthetic hydroxyapatite, (Ca₁₀(PO₄)₆(OH)₂, HA), is an important material used for orthopedic and dental implant applications. The biological hydroxyapatite in the human bone and tooth is of nanosize and differs in composition from the stoichiometric HA by the presence of other ions such as carbonate, magnesium, fluoride, etc. Osseointegration is enhanced by using nanocrystalline HA. This stimulates the interest in synthesizing nanocrystalline HA by different routes and among the methods, microwave processing seems to form the fine grain size and uniform characteristic nanocrystalline materials. Fluorinated hydroxyapatite, (FHA, Ca₁₀(PO₄)₆(OH)_2−x F _x ), possesses higher corrosion resistance in biofluids than pure HA and reduces the risk of dental caries. The present work deals with the synthesis of nanocrystalline FHAs by microwave processing. The crystal size and morphology of the nanopowers were examined by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) methods. The functional groups present in FHA powders were ascertained by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and laser Raman spectroscopy. Since the physiological stability is an important parameter while selecting the material for implantation, the in vitro dissolution studies of FHAs with different fluorine contents were carried out.