Abstract

Porous silicon (PS) substrates, with different pore sizes and morphology, have been used to crystallize hydroxyapatite (HA) nano-fibers by an easy and economical procedure using a co-precipitation method at room temperature. In situ formation of HA nanoparticles, within the meso- and macroporous silicon structure, resulted in the formation of nanometer-sized hydroxyapatite crystals on/within the porous structure. The X-ray diffraction technique was used to determine the tetragonal structure of the crystals. Analysis/characterization demonstrates that under certain synthesis conditions, growth and crystallization of hydroxyapatite layer on/inside PS can be achieved at room temperature. Such composite structures expand the possibility of designing a new bio-composite material based on the hydroxyapatite and silicon synthesized at room temperature.

Highlights

  • Porous silicon is a nanostructured material obtained by electrochemical anodization of monocrystalline silicon (c-Si) in a solution of hydrofluoric acid and ethanol [1]

  • We review our experimental results on enhanced infiltration, adhesion, nucleation, and crystallization of biological and inorganic materials in meso- and macroporous silicon

  • The above discussion reveals the significant role played by the nanostructured Porous silicon (PS) in the modification of particle size and morphology due to the confinement of the precursor solution

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Summary

Introduction

Porous silicon is a nanostructured material obtained by electrochemical anodization of monocrystalline silicon (c-Si) in a solution of hydrofluoric acid and ethanol [1]. One of the most important characteristics of PS is its high specific surface area [1,2,3], which was shown to have a nanostructured fractal (self-similar) surface [4] with tunable interconnected pores It serves as an ideal substrate for crystal growth of different materials such as proteins [5, 6], oxides [7], semiconductors [8], metallic nanoparticles [9], and hydroxyapatites [2, 10]. The pore filling via nucleation inside the pore itself or nucleation from a branching pore has been demonstrated [11] Such fractal surface features have a great impact on the properties of different nanostructured materials adsorbed or grown over it [1,2,3]. Such characteristics provide a variety of applications such as sensors based on both electrical and optical properties, or in various

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