Environmentally benign fabrication of calcium hydroxyapatite using seashells collected in Baltic Sea countries: A comparative study

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

ABSTRACT

In this study, high purity crystalline calcium hydroxyapatite (Ca₁₀(PO₄)₆(OH)₂; CHAp) was fabricated from seashells collected in different regions of the Baltic Sea using an environment-friendly water-based sol-gel synthesis route. The phase composition of the synthesized CHAp powders was studied by X-ray diffraction analysis and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The surface morphologies of the precursors and synthesized samples were examined by scanning electron microscopy. A single shell type, Macoma balthica (L.), was collected from various locations around the Baltic Sea. Nevertheless, the resulting CHAp powders had surprisingly large variations in the surface morphology of sol-gel-derived CHAp bioceramics.

KEYWORDS:

• Bioceramics
• calcium hydroxyapatite
• sol-gel synthesis
• morphology
• seashells
• Macoma balthica (L.)

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to express sincere gratitude to colleagues and friends around the Baltic Sea (Prof. I. Bryntse, Dr. I. Bogdanoviciene, Dr. K. Klemkaite-Ramanauske, M. Pohl, S. Fisher, Dr. N. Liskauskiene, Prof. A. Klonkowski, Prof. J. Mizeraczyk, and Dr. V. Tomkute) for their kind help when providing seashells from different Baltic Sea countries.

Funding

This research was funded by a grant KALFOS (No. LJB-2/2015) from the Research Council of Lithuania.