Biomimetic preparation of HA precursors at 37°C in urea- and enzyme urease-containing synthetic body fluids

摘要

An important inorganic phase of synthetic bone applications, calcium hydroxyapatite (HA, Ca{sub}10(PO{sub}4){sub}6(OH){sub}2), was prepared as a single-phase and sub-micron bioceramic powder. Carbonated HA precursors were synthesized from calcium nitrate tetrahydrate and diammonium hydrogen phosphate salts dissolved in "synthetic body fluid" (SBF) solutions, containing urea (H{sub}2NCONH{sub}2) and enzyme urease, under the biomimetic conditions of 37°C and pH 7.4, by using a novel chemical precipitation technique.