Synthesis and microstructure of hydroxyapatite nanofibers synthesized at 37 °C

Using the stimulated body fluid (SBF) as solvent, nano-sized single-crystalline HAp fibers have been synthesized in SBF solution at 37 °C without adjusting the pH values during the whole reaction time. The synthesized HAp fibers have a length ranging from 60 nm to 100 nm, a uniform diameter of 3–5 nm. Characterization by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) shows that the synthesized HAp fibers grow along [0 0 1] or [0 1 0], and there exist structural defects in the synthesized HAp nanofibers. the thermal gravity analysis (TG) and corresponding X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) analysis indicate that the heat treatment temperature for HAp fibers should not be above 700 °C. The HAp fibers with length and diameter in the range of nano-size could be an ideal structure as a specific reinforcement in the biomaterials for bone tissue implantation.