On the synthesis of tailored biomimetic hydroxyapatite nanoplates through a bioinspired approach in the presence of collagen or chitosan and L-arginine.

Controlling the structure of hydroxyapatite nanocrystals is vital for acquiring a consistent product. In an effort to synthesize crystals mimicking the morphology of natural bone's apatite, a bioinspired process was developed based on the use of a natural biomacromolecule, collagen or chitosan, in conjunction with l-arginine to direct the formation of hydroxyapatite from H3PO4 and Ca(OH)2. Different cases were investigated by employing various concentrations of the precursors and two molar ratios of Ca/P 1/1 and 10/6. The reaction was carried out at basic pH conditions and at biomimetic temperature (40°C). The resulting aqueous suspensions were characterized in terms of their rheological behavior, whereas the derived powders were fully evaluated by transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis and Raman spectroscopy. The analysis showed that in all cases, the only phase detected was hydroxyapatite of a plate-like morphology very similar to that of natural apatite. The homogeneity of the morphology and the crystal size distribution depend on the precursors' final concentration with the mean size ranging from 5 nm up to 20 nm. The powder that demonstrated the best characteristics in terms of homogeneity was that produced in the presence of collagen for molar ratio of Ca/P 1/1.

Covalent attachment of a bioactive hyperbranched polymeric layer to titanium surface for the biomimetic growth of calcium phosphates.

This work is investigating the chemical grafting on Ti surface of a polymer/calcium phosphate coating of improved adhesion for enhanced bioactivity. For this purpose, a whole new methodology was developed based on covalently attaching a hyperbranched poly(ethylene imine) layer on Ti surface able to promote calcium phosphate formation in a next deposition stage. This was achieved through an intermediate surface silanization step. The research included optimization both of the reaction conditions for covalently grafting the intermediate organosilicon and the subsequent hyperbranched poly(ethylene imine) layers, as well as of the conditions for the mechanical and chemical pretreatment of Ti surface before coating. The reaction steps were monitored employing FTIR and XPS analyses, whereas the surface morphology and structure of the successive coating layers were studied by SEM combined with EDS. The analysis confirmed the successful grafting of the hybrid layer which demonstrated very good ability for hydroxyapatite growth in simulated body fluid.

Effect of aluminium oxide sandblasting on cast commercially pure titanium surfaces.

Studies on the titanium porcelain interface have shown the presence of alumina, attributed mainly to the sandblasting procedure. In this study, an investigation of the effect of the sandblasting procedure on the microstructure and roughness of a cast commercially pure titanium surface was undertaken using three different particle size alumina powders. The analysis showed that in all cases alumina particles are embedded into the surface layer of titanium. The use of a large particle size alumina seems to be advantageous in reducing the weight of alumina remaining on the titanium surface and while increasing the surface roughness, thus promoting mechanical interlocking with porcelain.