Formation of hydroxyapatite crystallites using organic template of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)

Biomimetic mineralization is a method to form natural materials. We have synthesized hydroxyapatite (HAP) by using an organic template of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) as the surfactant. The X-ray diffractometer (XRD) patterns show the sizes of the HAP particles to be in the nanosize (15–30 nm) range. The chemical functional groups of the HAP were investigated by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) which shows the formation of the hydroxyl group (OH)−1 and the phosphate group (PO4)−3. The transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images show the particles to be in the range of 20–30 nm. The SDS looks like globular sphere, while the crystals of the HAP in the SDS/PVA appear as polyhedron crystal. The average size of each globular sphere is about 3–5 μm. As-prepared HAP samples were studied for their bioactive property by immersing them in a stimulated body fluid (SBF). After soaking them in SBF for one week, the SEM images show the accumulation of calcium carbonate or calcium phosphate SBF on surface of the HAP. This indicates that there might be an increased bioactive activity on the surface of the HAP prepared by this method.