Synthesis of mesoporous hydroxyapatite thin films using F127 as templates for biomedical applications

Mesoporous materials with large specific surface area and pore volume have attracted much attention in the biomedical field. In this study, the uniform mesoporous hydroxyapatite (meso-HA) thin films were prepared on the glass substrates by a sol–gel technique using different concentrations of non-ionic surfactant Pluronic F127 as the template. Nitrogen adsorption–desorption measurements indicated that the pore size distribution in the meso-HA samples were mainly sized ∼3.0 nm. As compared to the non-mesoporous HA film, the meso-HA samples have remarkably greater surface area and surface wettability owing to the introduction of mesopores. Using MC3T3-E1 cells as the models, the enhanced cell spreading was observed on the meso-HA films after 4 days of culture.

► Mesoporous HA films were prepared by the sol–gel method using F127 as templates.
► The presence of mesopores markedly improved the surface area of HA films.
► Water contact angle on HA films decreased due to the existence of mesopores.
► Mesoporous HA films showed better cell spreading than non-mesoporous ones.