Zinc phosphate as versatile material for potential biomedical applications Part II.

Surface chemical reactivity of two modifications of synthetic zinc phosphate tetrahydrate (alpha - and beta -form of Hopeite, alpha -,beta -ZPT) has been studied by selective chemical and e-beam etching in presence of diluted phosphoric acid and ammonia by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and microelectrophoresis (zeta potential measurements) in correlation with the corresponding bulk properties and crystal size distributions. The subtitle crystallographic differences between alpha -and beta -ZPT originating from a unique hydrogen bonding pattern, induce drastic variations of both surface potential and surface charge. Biogenic Hydroxyapatite (HAP) and one of its metastable precursors, a calcium dihydrogen phosphate dihydrate (DCPD) or Brushite were used to underline this resulting variation of chemical reactivity in zinc phosphates. In-situ monitoring of the transformation of Brushite in Hydroxyapatite is also reported.