Abstract For a deeper understanding of crystal nucleation, development, and alteration on crystalline substrates, hydroxyapatite films on sputtered ZnO are formed. The substrates used were as-deposited nanostructured ZnO thin films on glass. These films were produced by pulsed DC magnetron sputtering, as described in one of our previous works and then immersed in a calcifying solution for 24 hours to allow for hydroxyapatite nucleation and production. The calcifying solution combines equal volumes of aqueous calcium (7.5 and 10 mM) and carbonate-containing phosphate (4.5 and 6 mM) solutions at 37 °C with a pH range from 7.2 to 7.4. According to Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) analyses, the substrate type (sputtering power) and the concentration of the precursors used in the preparation of the calcium and carbonate-containing phosphate solution influence the structure and morphology of the hydroxyapatite films. Furthermore, using ZnO thin films deposited on glass made at lower sputtering powers as substrates results in a denser nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite coating than that grown on ZnO thin films sputtered at higher sputtering power. The nucleation of hydroxyapatite onto substrates is controlled by both charged surfaces and the supersaturation of the calcifying solution, with larger concentrations of the precursor solutions producing thicker films.
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