Sonochemical-synthesized biphasic tricalcium phosphate: Influence of synthesis parameters on the physicochemical properties and in vitro remineralization in artificial saliva

Abstract

Biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP) is an ideal bone substitute with controllable bioresorption/biodegradation by changing its relative amount of hydroxyapatite (HA) and β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) compositions. This study investigated the effect of synthetic conditions on the physicochemical properties and the remineralization behaviors of BCP materials in artificial saliva (AS). BCPs were obtained under the sonochemical condition at pH of 5.0 (BCP_5), 7.0 (BCP_7), and 9.0 (BCP_9), and all were sintered at 800, 1000, and 1200 °C. The HA/β-TCP ratio of BCPs increased according to the pH increase during the synthesis process. BCP_5 sintered at 800 °C with the highest β-TCP contents demonstrated (1) fast neutralization capacity to prevent enamel from dissolving in acidic saliva and (2) remineralization ion supply, and (3) new apatite formation found in acidic AS, indicating its high potential remineralization agent for dental care applications.