Pulsed laser deposition of strontium-substituted hydroxyapatite coatings

The growing evidence of the beneficial role of strontium in bone has increased the interest of developing strontium-containing biomaterials for medical applications, and specifically biocompatible coatings that can be deposited on metallic implants to benefit from their load-bearing capabilities. In this work, strontium-substituted hydroxyapatite (Sr-HA) coatings have been fabricated by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) from initial targets obtained after mixing and compacting commercial HA and SrCO3 powders in different proportions. The films thus fabricated were then structurally, morphologically and chemically characterized using scanning electron microscopy, optical profilometry, X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The macroscopic morphology of the films presented in all cases equivalent spherical shaped aggregates of typical calcium phosphate coatings. The results reveal, however, the incorporation of Sr2+ and carbonate groups in the coatings as a function of the SrCO3 content in the ablation target, being the incorporation of Sr2+ a linear phenomenon that is accompanied by a similarly linear withdrawal of Ca2+. The role of Sr2+ in the modification of the HA structure and a possible mechanism of substitution of Sr2+ atoms in place of Ca2+ atoms are discussed.