engleski

Preparation of highly porous hydroxyapatite ceramics from cuttlefish bones

Hydroxyapatite, Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2 , has been widely investigated for medical purpose because it is suitable for either direct clinical use as implants or tissue-engineering applications . In this work materials were successfully produced via hydrothermal transformation of aragonite, obtained from fresh cuttlefish bones, at 200°C and high pressures. Beyond low production cost, worldwide availability and natural– biological origin of raw materials, the produced materials have ideal pore size and interconnectivity features suitable for supporting biological activities, such as bone tissue growth and vascularization. The bone of the cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis L.) from Adriatic Sea were used. The samples of cuttlebone were pretreated, boiled with NaClO in order to remove the organic phase of the bone to accelerate the conversion. The substitution of CO32- groups predominantly into the PO43- sites of the Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2 structure was suggested by FTIR spectroscopy. SEM micrographs have shown that the interconnected hollow structure with pillars connecting parallel lamellae in cuttlefish bone is maintained after conversion. Specific surface area (SBET) and total pore volume increased and mean pore size decreased by HT treatment.

scaffold; cuttlefish bone; hydroxyapatite; microstructure

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