Design of a new Ag/Mg/Zn alloyed doped hydroxyapatite hybrid biomaterial

Abstract

The objective of the study was to investigate the effects of doping hydroxyapatite (HAp) with Ag+, Mg2+, and Zn2+ ions on its microstructure, physiochemical properties, and mechanical properties for use as a hard tissue implant. The sol-gel wet chemical synthesis method was used to prepare the tri-doped HAp. The insertion of the three metal ions intensified and sharpened X-ray diffraction (XRD) peaks. The study confirmed successful substitution of the metal ions in the HAp matrix using Raman spectra. Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) studies confirmed that tri-doping reduced pore size from 2.48 to 2.06 nm. Surface area decreased from 3.29 to 0.63 m2/g. These changes led to an increase in the mechanical strength of the tri-doped samples, with a value from 40.36 to 66.01VHN at a 300 gf load. The morphology studies revealed grain agglomeration. The presence of Ag+ reduced the corrosion rate of the alloyed sample compared to pure hydroxyapatite, decreasing it from 60.94 to 35.58 mmpy. The hydroxyapatite with the alloyed ions exhibited a highly hydrophilic surface, with an optical contact angle close to 0°. The clotting behavior of both pure HAp and the alloy-fabricated HAp was found to be moderate. Moreoverlower value of IC50 indicated that Ag/Mg/Zn-HAp was less cytotoxic to the L929 cell line and has greater biocompatibility. In summary, the study suggests that the tri-doping of hydroxyapatite with Ag+, Mg2+, and Zn2+ ions resulted in several beneficial changes, including improved mechanical strength, reduced corrosion rate, enhanced wettability, and moderate thrombogenicity.These findings are promising for the potential use of tri-doped hydroxyapatite as a material for hard tissue implants.