Key Engineering Materials Vols. 309-311

Abstract: Poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate-co- methyl methacrylate) HM, was synthesized by free radical copolymerization, cross-linked with ethylene glycol dimethacrylate and phosphorylated. The phosphate coupling was ensured by ATR spectroscopy. The in vitro mineralization ability of the phosphorylated HM (designated as PHM) was investigated by studying the nucleation and growth of calcium phosphate on its surface by immersing in simulated body fluid (SBF) solution. The coating morphology was studied by SEM and the Ca/P ratio of the coating by EDX analysis. The cell adhesion behaviour of PHM was studied by seeding Human osteosarcoma (HOS) cells for one week followed by SEM analysis along with HM as control. It was observed that HOS cells exhibited biomineralization of calcium phosphate on the surface of HM as well as on PHM with a significantly higher amount on the surface of PHM as observed by von kossa staining method. The results show that PHM is capable of in vitro mineralization under simulated physiological condition, promotes cell adhesion by providing an excellent cell friendly surface and it exhibits biomineralization of calcium phosphate in presence of HOS cells.

Abstract: The biosynthesis of low molecular weight bacterial cellulose (LMBC) by Static culture of Acetobacter xylinum HN001 has been investigated. The medium was prepared with coconut-water by adding sugar and N-compounds. Several conditions effected LMBC yields, such as start pH value of culture medium, culture temperature and culture time were investigated. In view of high yield of LMBC, the optimal culture time and culture temperature was about 70 hours and 32°C with yield of LMBC 1.2g/L. Molecular weight (MW) and molecular weight distribution (MWD) of LMBC were tested by GFC. Results showed that, though the start pH value of culture medium varied from 3.5 to 5.5, the MW of the product cellulose varied not notable and MWD of LMBC were all almost 1.3.

Abstract: The selective protein adsorption property and the local structure around carbonate ions of nanocrystalline hydroxy-carbonate apatite were examined in this study. Considerable change in the selectivity in the adsorption of BSA and β2-MG was observed due to the incorporation of thecarbonate ions in hydroxyapatite lattice. Since the protein adsorption property seems to be related to the surface charge density of hydroxyapatite due to the carbonation, the chemical states of the incorporated carbonate ions were examined by the 31C CP-MAS NMR spectroscopy. At least four peaks assignable to carbonate ions in A-site(OH-) and B-site(PO4 3-) were observed in 13C CP-MAS NMR spectrum. Thus, we must take into consideration that the surface charge distribution and the decrement of polar groups such as OH- groups due to the distribution of carbonate ions in both Aand B-sites of the hydroxyapatite lattice are particularly favorable for β2-MG adsorption rather than for BSA adsorption.

Abstract: In this work, calcium phosphate particles were obtained from systems composed of Renex-100, hexanol, cyclohexane and Ca2+, PO4 3- and OH- aqueous solutions. Particles of chemical composition, crystalline structure, morphology and size similar to those of bone mineral were obtained by varying the composition of the components of the system. For comparison, the mineral phase of bone was obtained from parietal bone and femur of 15-day, 1-month and 1-year-old Wistar rats. Synthetic calcium phosphates and bone samples were analyzed by XRD, ICP/OES and electronic microscopy. The results show that, by controlling the composition of the surfactant system, it is possible to obtain particles of different morphologies and sizes, which are more similar to the particles that compose bone mineral. This similarity might indicate that the body makes use of systems to synthesize bone mineral. These systems might present properties similar to those of the systems studied in this work.

Abstract: It was a normal phenomena that hydroxyapatite (HA) decomposes into tricalcium phosphate (TCP), tetracalcium phosphate (TTCP), calcium oxide (CaO) and amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) during the plasma processing step. The present study characterized the phase evolution of calcium phosphates (CaPs) in the nanoparticles synthesized using a radio frequency (RF) induction plasma processing technique. The morphology and microstructure of the CaP nanoparticles were investigated by XRD, SEM, TEM, Raman spectroscopy, FTIR spectroscopy and thermal analysis. It was found that ACP, α-TCP, TTCP and CaO were the main decomposed phases in the nanoparticle. After heat treatment at dicalcium pyrophosphate (β-Ca2P2O7) due to the extreme decomposition of the starting HA during the RF plasma processing step which rapidly solidified into amorphous phase.

Abstract: The phosphoryl oligosaccharides of calcium (POC), extracted from potato starch, are composed of phosphorus oligosaccharides and calcium ions. Ultrafine calcium phosphate particles, whose main phase was hydroxyapatite (Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2: HAp), could be prepared through the hydrothermal treatment of POC solution at a temperature between 110 and 130°C; X-ray diffraction indicated the crystallinity of HAp in the resulting powder to be poor and similar to that of living bone. The present HAp powder was regarded to be calcium deficient carbonate apatite with the OH- group being partly substituted by a carbonate (CO3 2-) group. The solubility of the resulting powder in dilute hydrochloric acid was higher compared to that of commercially available HAp, suggesting excellent bioabsorbability for the present powder.

Abstract: Nanostructured hydroxyapatite (nHA) thin coatings of thickness 0.5 µm have been successfully produced using a radio-frequency magnetron sputtering technique, through careful selection and control of the processing conditions. nHA coatings were immersed in simulated body fluid (SBF) to determine the rate of nucleation and growth of an apatite layer on their surface. A dense, newlyformed apatite layer with similar characteristics to that of the biological bone apatite, was observed after 7 days of immersion in SBF. X-ray diffraction and infrared analyses confirmed this layer to be calcium-deficient nanocrystalline carbonate HA. All these results demonstrated that the novel nHA coatings were highly bioactive, and the time-frame required to form a dense apatite layer was reduced significantly as compared to the micrometer-sized, sintered HA pellets (from 28 days to 7 days).

Abstract: Structure-property relationships in bovine cortical bone have been characterised using grazing-incidence synchrotron radiation diffraction, Vickers indentation and mechanical testing. Depth profiling results indicated the existence of distinct gradual changes in crystal disorder, phase abundance, and texture of hydroxyapatite whilst the crystallite size was depth-independent.

Abstract: In this work, the dissolution of calcium phosphates was studied through the calcium ion concentration, determined during the dissolution process in SBF (Simulated Body Fluid) at pH 6.35, 7.00 and 7.40, at 37oC. The results allowed the determination of the number of adsorption sites (ns) on the surface of the phosphates. Regardless of previous knowledge of the Ca/P ratio and crystallinity of the studied phosphates, the ns values provide the evidence that at the end of the dissolution process, the surfaces of the phosphates are similar.

Abstract: Hydroxyapatite/chondroitin sulfate (HAp/ChS) microparticles with the perfectly spherical shape and the averaged particle sizes of 4.1, 7.8, 19.9 and 29.4 µm were fabricated by a spray dry method under the different atomizing pressures and the concentrations of suspensions. The contents of ChS in the microparticles were varied at 1.49, 3.18, 7.82, 14.2 wt%, and the ChS elution rate in distilled water from the microparticles was increased with the increase of ChS contents. The adsorption isotherms of cytochrome C on the microparticles in 1/10 diluted phosphate buffer saline (PBS) were followed to the Langmuir’s equation regardless of the change of ChS contents, while those of catalase were not followed. The HAp/ChS microparticles can adsorb greater amount of cytochrome C than pure HAp microparticles, but less amount of catalase than pure HAp. The electrostatic interaction between the proteins and ChS was of great importance in the adsorption properties.