Synthesis and characterization of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles

Hydroxyapatite (HA) nanoparticles were synthesized by precipitation method in the presence of simulated body fluid (SBF) solution or Calcium phosphor tris (CaPTris) solution which was used for the first time. The synthesized powders were characterized in terms of structure (Fourier transform infrared spectrograph, FTIR and X-ray diffraction, XRD), particle size and morphology (zeta sizer and scanning electron microscopy, SEM). HA crystallites were in hexagonal structure (space group: P63/m). Sizes of crystallites determined at the (002) and (300) crystal planes varied from 15.88 to 16.12 nm for CaPTris solution. Although particle size distributions were significantly different for both samples, SEM images of the samples showed that the particles were in nano-sized. Characterization results depicted that HA nanoparticles were also synthesized using CaPTris solution by precipitation method as well as in the presence of SBF solution. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.