Synthesis and Characterization of Hydroxyapatite Nano-Fibers in the presence of Surfactants

Hydroxyapatite (HAp), Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2, has been applied to medical fields such as reconstructive and prosthetic materials for bone and tooth owing to its excellent biocompatibility and bioactivity and high osteo-conductive and osteo-inductive properties. However, due to low reliability, especially in wet environments, the HAp bioceramics cannot be used for heavy load-bearing applications, like artificial teeth or bones. It has been reported that the mechanical properties of the ceramics could be reinforced remarkably by dispersing rod-like crystals and fibers into the bulk materials [1]. It is well-known that the strength of ceramic fibers and whiskers is of size-dependence. As the diameter or length decreases, the strength of ceramic fibers and whiskers increases [2]. Thus, HAp nano-fibers sound to be useful as materials for improving the mechanical properties of synthetic biomaterials.In this work, hydroxyapatite nano-fibers have been successfully synthesized in the presence of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as a cationic surfactant and polyethylene glycol 200 (PEG200) as a non-ionic co-surfactant under hydrothermal conditions