Hydrothermal Synthesis and Appraisal of Mg-Doped Hydroxyapatite Nanopowders

Nano rods of magnesium-doped hydroxyapatite, Ca10-xMgx(PO4)(6)(OH)(2)(Mg-x-HA, x = 0-1.0), were successfully synthesized through cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide assisted hydrothermal synthesis method. X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and transmission electron microscopy, provided experimental evidences about the effects of Mg-doping on the phase assemblage, crystallite size, morphology, specific surface area of Mg-doped hydroxyapatite nanopowders. The replacement Ca2+ ions by smaller Mg2+ ones caused lattice shrinkage and lattice strains that enhanced the solubility and the in vitro bio-mineralisation activity upon immersing sintered samples in simulated body fluid. The severity of these structural changes rose with increasing Mg-doping and enable tailoring the in vitro biological activity enabling selecting the most suitable material for bone grafts and tissue engineering applications