Enhanced colloidal stability of hydroxyapatite

Hydroxyapatite, Ca₁₀(PO₄)₆(OH) ₂ is the most thermodynamically stable calcium phosphate in physiological environments. Hence, it is the main inorganic mineral found in bone and teeth. Its colloidal stability, however, is poor because hydroxyapatite (HAp) particles exhibit sediment formation upon standing at short time periods, where agglomerates form and lead to non-homogeneous suspensions. Surface modification is a promising method to tailor the colloidal stability of hydroxyapatite for biomaterial applications. Three techniques to modify the HAp surface and enhance the colloidal stability of HAp were investigated. Modified particles were characterized by methods sensitive to surface chemistry changes, such as sedimentation studies, diffuse reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (DRIFT), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area, and electrophoresis. Sedimentation studies demonstrated how effective each technique was in improving the colloidal stability of hydroxyapatite particles. Electrophoresis provided information on electrostatic interactions within each system.; The first technique entailed an esterification reaction of the HAp surface with dodecyl alcohol at elevated temperatures. DRIFT results showed that dodecyl groups from the alcohol replaced acidic hydroxyl and phosphate sites on the HAp surface, giving rise to enhanced colloidal stability through steric interactions in ethanol suspensions. TGA curves gave insight to the degree of esterification for the esterified particles. Higher reaction temperatures give rise to a higher degree of esterification resulting in better colloidal stability. The second technique applied a silica coating on the HAp surface by the hydrolysis of tetraethyl orthosilicate in ethanol. Silica was coated onto the HAp surface at 5–75 wt% loading amounts. A combination of acid dissolution and x-ray diffraction (XRD), along with BET showed that the silica coating is complete at 50 wt% silica loading. The silica coating stabilized the HAp particles in aqueous solutions via electrostatic interactions. Heterocoagulation was proposed as the predominant coating mechanism at this loading. The last technique investigated was the adsorption of the cationic polymer, polyethylene imine (PEI). PEI improved the colloidal stability of HAp in aqueous systems through electrosteric interactions.