Preparation, Characterization and Antibacterial Property of Cerium Substituted Hydroxyapatite Nanoparticles

Nanoparticles of hydroxyapatite (HAP) and cerium substituted hydroxyapatite (CeHAP) with the atomic ratio of Ce/[Ca + Ce] (xCe) from 0 to 0.2 were prepared by sol-gel-supercritical fluid drying (SCFD) method. The nanoparticles were characterized by TEM, XRD, and FT-IR, and the effects of cerium on crystal structure, crystallinity, and particle shape were discussed. With the tests of bacterial inhibition zone and antibacterial ratio, the antibacterial property of HAP and CeHAP nanoparticles on Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Lactobacillus were researched. Results showed that the nanoparticles of HAP and CeHAP could be made by sol-gel-SCFD, cerium could partially substitute for calcium and enter the structure of HAP. After substitution, the crystallinity, the IR wavenumbers of bonds in CeHAP decreased gradually with increase of cerium substitution, and the morphology of the nanoparticles changed from the short rod-shaped HAP to the needle-shaped CeHAP. The nanoparticles of HAP and CeHAP with xCe below 0.08 had antibacterial property only forcibly contacting with the test bacteria at the test concentration of 0.1 g ml−1, however, the CeHAP nanoparticles had antibacterial ability at that concentration no matter statically or dynamically contacting with the test bacteria when xCe was above 0.08, and the antibacterial ability gets better with the increase of xCe, indicating that the antibacterial property was improved after calcium was partially substituted by cerium. The improved antibacterial effects of CeHAP nanoparticle on Lactobacillus showed its potential ability to anticaries.