A dewetting process to nano-pattern collagen on hydroxyapatite

Nano-patterned collagen layers on the sintered hydroxyapatite (HAp) disk with a mirror surface were fabricated by the dewetting methods. The surface wettability, energy and tension were of great importance for the formation of nanostructured collagen layers. The maximum adsorption amount and binding affinity of collagen onto the sintered HAp particle were analyzed by the adsorption isotherm curve to elucidate the formation mechanism of nano-patterned collagen layers. The slow evaporation of solvent from the adsorbed collagen layers can produce netlike structures of collagen with an average pore diameter of 80–90 nm, and its height of rims was 2–3 nm from atomic force microscopy.