Lanthanide doped hydroxyapatite for multimodal imaging

Lantanide dual-doped hydroxyapatite (HaP:Ln) is currently the subject of numerous studies in reconstructive medicine. Designed in form of hybrid nanoparticles which have magnetic and luminescent properties HaP:Ln (where Ln=Gd/Eu or Gd/Yb/Tm) is capable to enhance signal detection. Beside it, due biodegradable properties it is suitable for use in bone tissue engineering and target drug delivery. For such a promising approach, doping of a HAp matrix is performed with Gd/Eu and Gd/Yb/Tm during hydrothermal synthesis using EDTA as chelating agent. Morphological and structural characteristics of the particles were obtained using X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM/TEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) and photoluminescence (PL). The results show that needle-like nano- or micro- particles were obtained in all systems. Their phase composition and uniform distribution of dopants were confirmed by the structural refinement of the XRPD data and luminescence response from Eu and Tb (λex = 370, 394 and 977 nm)