Structural and particle size evolution of sol–gel-derived nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite

Abstract

An easy alkoxide-based sol–gel method based on Ca(NO3)2·4H2O and triethyl phosphate [PO(OC2H5)3; TEP] as Ca and P precursors have been developed to synthesize nano-hydroxyapatite (HA). The structural evolution of the samples was studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermal behavior, infrared analysis, and elemental analysis via scanning electron microscopy. It is noticeable that raising of the firing temperature resulted in increasing the HA content as the dominant phase at 600 and 700 °C. The phase transformation from amorphous to crystalline HA occurred at the low temperature of 400 °C, while at higher temperatures other Ca–P compounds as secondary phases transformed to HA. The crystallite size distributions and micro-strain of the HA samples produced were characterized by XRD methods with the aid of Scherrer and Williamson–Hall equations. The results of transmission electron microscopy as a complementary and reliable technique are in good agreement with those obtained from XRD. The results indicate that increasing the firing temperature caused permanent growth of mean crystallite size and a decrease in micro-strain.