A comparative study of surface modified nanohydroxyapatite using PVA polymer extracted from Seashells, Coral Skeletons and Eggshells for biomedical applications

Abstract

The necessity and usage of hydroxyapatite in the form of bone and dental substitutes are increasing day by day. Hydroxyapatite derived from natural biomaterials promotes better osteointegration and biocompatibility with host bone. The present investigation aims to compare the properties of three distinct naturally occurring calcium precursors (seashells, coral skeletons, and eggshells) derived from nHAp/PVA composites (Polymeric composites). All the prepared samples were examined through characteristic instruments such as XRD (X-ray diffraction), FT-IR (Fourier Transform Infrared) Spectroscopy, TG-DTA (Thermogravimetric-Differential Thermal Analysis), SEM/EDAX (Scanning Electron Microscopy/Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy), and XPS (X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy). Furthermore, the samples were subjected to the Simulated Body Fluid (SBF), Hemocompatibility and Antimicrobial assay to find the Bioactivity, Hemocompatible and Antibacterial efficiency of the samples. The surface morphology of seashell nHAp/PVA shows a spherical shape while coral and eggshell-derived nHAp/PVA exhibits rod-shaped morphology. However, the achieved particle is found to be in the range of 32 to 41 nm. Also, coral-derived nHAp/PVA composites show a maximum crystallinity of 83.7% with a minimum weight loss of about 49.96%. This study demonstrates that among the prepared samples, coral nHAp/PVA performs better, but in terms of availability, seashell/PVA takes the lead with good results in all aspects. Though the eggshell nHAp/PVA satisfies several characteristic studies, it shows less stableness on TG-DTA. This study suggests that both Seashells and Corals can be utilized as calcium precursors in the making of quality hydroxyapatite that can be further processed in the making of hard tissue replacements/substitutes.