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The use of magnetic nanoparticles in association with scaffolds is considered an important way to transform typical passive scaffolds into active scaffolds. Manganese can develop magnetic properties in hydroxyapatites, as can iron, copper, cobalt and samarium, but lacks the high toxicity of these latter compounds. Because the magnetic properties exhibited by transition metal-containing hydroxyapatite are entirely dependent on site occupation and on the formation of magnetic oxides under heating, it is extremely important to understand how manganese behaves when inserted into hydroxyapatite. In this paper, we demonstrated by using X-ray difference Fourier maps that the insertion of Mn into the hydroxyapatite structure induces several perturbations in its hexagonal channels, with a preference for occupying Ca(2) sites, particularly when the hydroxyapatite lattice is poorly ordered and has CO32− inserted at PO43− sites. When CO32− is released at high temperature and the structure is better ordered, Ca(1) sites become more susceptible to occupation by Mn atoms, while the occupation of PO43− sites by MnO43− is reduced. However, with increasing time and calcination temperature, Mn atoms tend to be released from the hydroxyapatite structure in the form of Mn3O4 nanoparticles through the hydroxyl channels, occupying Ca(2) sites in the final stage of the segregation pathway. These findings are fundamental to the development of new strategies to synthesize active hydroxyapatite-based scaffolds under remote control by a magnetic field.

The ions found in biological environment during biomineralization as well as the counterions present in syntheses, i.e., the reagents employed, play an important role in the precipitation and stabilization of apatites. In this work, precipitation of strontium-containing hydroxyapatites at different concentrations (0, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100% Sr2+) was performed in the presence of two counterions typically present in biological environments: Na+ and Cl−. It was demonstrated that the presence of Na+/Cl− in the synthesis environment led to the precipitation of a biphasic hydroxyapatite (HAp) system formed by two non-miscible phases: Ca-rich HAp and Sr-rich HAp. The biphasic system was observed for intermediate Sr2+ concentrations (20, 40 and 60%) and exhibited greater lattice microstrain compared with the single-phase systems of Ca HAp (0%) and Sr HAp (100%). Although Na+/Cl− were inserted into both Ca- and Sr-rich HAp phases, Cl− ions were preferentially accommodated into the enlarged Sr-rich HAp structure. The presence of Cl− ions in the Sr-rich HAp phase decreased microstrain compared to the Ca-rich phase. After calcination, the biphasic system was transformed into a completely miscible Ca/Sr HAp phase without the formation of other phosphates or oxides.

Inadequate mechanical properties of pure hydroxyapatite (HA) coating layers make it an unsuitable candidate for many load-bearing orthopedic implants. In this study, Titania nanotubes (TNT) and HA were synthesized using Rapid Breakdown Adonization (RBA) and sol–gel methods, respectively. The sintering process at different temperatures was then conducted for the phase transformation of titanium. HA–TNT mixtures in different quantities and phases were prepared for coating on Co–Cr-based substrates. To optimize the coated HA–TNT composite layer in term of hardness, bonding strength and corrosion potential, empirical models based on Response Surface Methodology (RSM) were developed. The synthesized TNT and HA–TNT coated samples were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). The predicted models generated by RSM were compared with the experimental results, and close agreement was observed. While the models demonstrate that TNT quantity is a more significant factor than sintering temperature in improving hardness (H), bonding strength (P) and the corrosion potential (Ecorr) of a coated substrate, sintering temperature still has a considerable effect on H and Ecorr. The optimum HA–TNT composite coating layer in terms of the mechanical and electrochemical properties were obtained with a TNT ratio of 1.07 (wt%) at a sintering temperature of 669.11 °C.

Fluoridated Hydroxyapatite (FHA) nanorods were synthesized using Apricot Tree Gum (ATG) as a novel surfactant and then compared with Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid disodium salt dihydrate (EDTA) and Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate (SDS) as conventional surfactant agents under hydrothermal condition (70 °C and 1 atm). The effects of pH values and various types of surfactants on the formation of the FHA nanorods, crystalline phase, and chemical compositions were investigated using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) equipped by Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The findings indicated application of the presented ATG as surfactant is able to produce the hexagonal nanorods of FHA along their c -axis direction. Moreover, it is illustrated that diameter and length of nanorods which is obtained by ATG surfactant are bigger than EDTA and SDS. In addition, it is demonstrated that pH values can play a major role on formation of hexagonal FHA nanorods. The increase of pH transformed the shape of synthesized FHA from particles to rods. Ultimately, based on the similarity of synthesized FHA nanorods to the shape, structure, and composition of enamel; it is suggested for its potential to be used for dental applications.