Synthesis and characterization of HAp nanorods from a cationic surfactant template method

TL;DR

This study presents a method to synthesize hydroxyapatite nanorods using a surfactant template, analyzing how sintering temperature affects their morphology, crystallinity, and stability, with low temperatures yielding higher quality nanorods.

Contribution

It introduces a surfactant templating synthesis method for HAp nanorods and evaluates the impact of sintering temperature on their properties.

Findings

Low heat-treatment temperatures produce high-quality nanorods with 20-50 nm diameter.

High temperatures cause decomposition into other calcium phosphate phases.

Sintering temperature influences nanorod stability and morphology.

Abstract

Hydroxyapatite (HAp) [Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2] nanorods were synthesized using a surfactant templating method, with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) micelles acting as template for HAp growth. The effects of the sintering temperature on the morphological and crystallographic characteristics and on chemical composition of the "as-prepared" structures are discussed. The experimental results show that low heat-treatment temperatures are preferred in order to obtain high quality nanorods, with diameters ranging between 20 nm and 50 nm. High heat-treatment temperatures enhance the thermal decomposition of HAp into other calcium phosphate compounds, and the sintering of particles into micrometer ball-like structures. The stability of aqueous suspensions of HAp nanorods is also discussed.