Structure control in hydroxyapatite synthesis by hydrothermal reaction and organic modulators

Properties of materials are determined not only by their composition, but also by their structure. It is, therefore, of great significance to develop the ability of tailoring the structure of materials according to the requirements of intended applications. In this work a novel glutamic acid-assisted hydrothermal process was developed to synthesize apatite crystals with controllable morphologies. Varied morphologies from whisk broom, fibers, mushroom, prickly spheres, to dandelion were produced through modulating both the formation of a transitory phase and its transformation into the final phase.