Controlled additive-free hydrothermal synthesis and characterization of uniform hydroxyapatite nanobelts

Uniform hydroxyapatite (HAp) nanobelts were successfully synthesized with a facile and economic hydrothermal method for the first time. During the preparation process, without surfactants or additives were used except for three requisite cheap reactants, and the experimental procedures were very simple. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectrum (EDS), inductively coupled plasma (ICP), Fourier transform infrared spectrum (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and selected area electron diffraction (SAED) were employed to characterize the products. Then the influences of the hydrothermal reaction time, hydrothermal temperature and dosage of NaOH on the formation of HAp nanobelts were investigated. In addition, a possible formation mechanism of the HAp nanobelts was proposed. This additive-free hydrothermal method provides a simple and controllable route to synthesize HAp nanobelts.