Composite of hydroxyapatite (HA) from eggshells and TiO2.

Hydroxyapatite is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula Ca₁₀(PO₄)₆(OH)₂. Hydroxyapatite has been widely used in biomedical applications, especially in bone and dental implants. Hydroxyapatite can be synthesized using chemical compound precursors, but the product is not biocompatible. For medical applications, Natural-based hydroxyapatite such as eggshells will be safer. In addition, eggshell-based hydroxyapatite can absorb bacteria and viruses. However, hydroxyapatite cannot decompose the molecules it absorbs, so it requires additional compounds such as titanium dioxide. Hydroxyapatite-titanium dioxide (HA-TiO²) composite proven to be effective as an antibacterial. In this study, HA-TiO₂ composites were synthesized made from eggshells by the hydrothermal method at a temperature of 230°C. Hydroxyapatite which is synthesized from eggshell has a purity of 97.8%, crystallinity 56.46% While the HA-TiO₂ composite with a composition of 1:1 has been successfully synthesized with a white solid powder texture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]