Biomimetic nanocrystalline apatite coatings synthesized by Matrix Assisted Pulsed Laser Evaporation for medical applications

• We report the deposition by MAPLE of biomimetic apatite coatings on Ti substrates.
• This is the first report of MAPLE deposition of hydrated biomimetic apatite films.
• Biomimetic apatite powder was synthesized by double decomposition process.
• Non-apatitic environments, of high surface reactivity, are preserved post-deposition.
• We got the MAPLE complete transfer as thin film of a hydrated, delicate material.

We report the deposition by Matrix Assisted Pulsed Laser Evaporation (MAPLE) technique of biomimetic nanocrystalline apatite coatings on titanium substrates, with potential application in tissue engineering. The targets were prepared from metastable, nanometric, poorly crystalline apatite powders, analogous to mineral bone, synthesized through a biomimetic approach by double decomposition process. For the deposition of thin films, a KrF* excimer laser source was used (λ = 248 nm, τFWHM ≤ 25 ns). The analyses revealed the existence, in synthesized powders, of labile non-apatitic mineral ions, associated with the formation of a hydrated layer at the surface of the nanocrystals. The thin film analyses showed that the structural and chemical nature of the nanocrystalline apatite was prevalently preserved. The perpetuation of the non-apatitic environments was also observed. The study indicated that MAPLE is a suitable technique for the congruent transfer of a delicate material, such as the biomimetic hydrated nanohydroxyapatite.