Wet chemical synthesis of hydroxyapatite particles from nonstoichiometric solutions

Hydroxyapatite [Ca-10(PO4)(6)(OH)(2); or HAp] particles with controlled stoichiometry were precipi tated from solution by forced hydrolysis of mixtures of calcium and phosphate salts at a high pH and temperature. The mixing procedure determines the final stoichiometry of the precipitated HAp. The resulting particles were characterized by FTIR, XRD, TEM, and light scattering and their chemical composition was determined by ICP, indicating that pure crystalline HAp with a narrow size distribution was indeed formed, despite some aggregation being detected by light scattering. The Ca/P ratio was found to depend on the specific preparation route.