Abstract
β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) is applied in medicine. As Cu2+ is known to exhibit antimicrobial activity in the body and to improve wound healing and angiogenesis, it is an eligible ion for substitution in β-TCP. Crystalline β-TCP with varying amounts of Cu2+ ranging from 0 to 20 mol% was synthesized at 1000 ± 10 °C and investigated by powder X-ray diffraction followed by Rietveld refinement. The lattice parameters a and c and the unit cell volume of Ca3-xCux(PO4)2 showed a significant decrease with increasing Cu2+ amount until a content of 15 mol% Cu2+. In all samples with Cu2+ amounts higher than 14 mol% Ca3Cu3(PO4)4 was detected as secondary phase. The refinement of the occupancy factors showed a preferred incorporation of Cu2+ at the Ca(5) site. The limit of Cu2+ incorporation in the structure of β-TCP before forming a secondary phase can be inferred at a Cu2+ content of 15 mol%.
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