Interface-mediated synthesis of hydroxyapatite.

Interfacing of water vapor and titanium was employed for a controlled synthesis of surface-supported hydroxyapatite. In this approach, a Ti surface was doped with Ca and P by ion implantation and then subjected to a hydrothermal treatment in a water vapor autoclave. Ion implantation served to prepare a reactive blend of finely dispersed reactants in a stoichiometric ratio incorporated within the network of an outermost layer of the substrate surface. Needle-like carbonate hydroxyapatite in an overlay was identified to deposit onto the surface. The results suggest interface-mediated thin film formation and phase transformation. Copyright 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res 59: 254-258, 2002