Three-dimensional biomimetic mineralization of dense hydrogel templates.

An electric-current-assisted method was used to mineralize dense hydrogels and create hydroxyapatite/hydrogel composites with unique hierarchical structures. The microstructure of the final material can be controlled by the mineralization technique and the chemistry of the organic matrix. A hydroxyapatite/hydrogel composite was obtained with a large inorganic content (approximately 60% of the weight of the organics). After being heated to 1050 degrees C, the sintered inorganic phase has a very uniformly distributed porosity and its Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area is 0.68 m(2)/g.