Structural and biological evaluation of novel vanadium/Yttrium co-doped hydroxyapatite for bone tissue engineering applications

Abstract

Hydroxyapatite (HA) is widely used in various medical fields due to its exceptional bioactivity, bio-affinity, and biocompatibility. However, the potential of biomaterials co-doped with metal ions for specific biomedical applications remains underexplored. In this study, we modified the HA structure by introducing vanadium (V) and yttrium (Y) to enhance its physicochemical and biological properties. V-Y co-doped HA (V-Y:HA) samples were prepared by the wet precipitation method using a reflux condensation setup with three different concentrations (0.005 M, 0.01 M, and 0.02 M) of V and Y. The addition of V and Y significantly influenced the biochemical properties and crystal structure of HA. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed a modified crystal structure and the presence of the β-tricalcium phosphate (β -TCP) phase in the sample with a higher V concentration. V and Y incorporation resulted in smaller crystallite sizes and noticeable changes in lattice parameters. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images displayed sphere-like morphology with extensive aggregation. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and Raman analysis confirmed the presence of functional groups and phosphate vibrational modes in V-Y:HA samples. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) revealed the ionic and oxide forms of vanadium and the electronic states of yttrium. The as-prepared samples exhibited excellent mechanical strength, reduced porosity, and improved hemocompatibility compared to pure HA. The V-Y:HA sample with a higher V concentration demonstrated enhanced antibacterial activity against P. aeruginosa and S. aureus. In-vitro bioactivity assessment after 21 days revealed enhanced apatite formation on the surface of HA and V-Y:HA materials. These findings suggest that the novel V-Y:HA nanomaterials have great potential as biomaterials for bone tissue engineering and related applications.