Surface Structure, Hydration, and Cationic Sites of Nanohydroxyapatite: UHR-TEM, IR, and Microgravimetric Studies

A multi-technique study devoted to investigate the surface features of nanosized hydroxyapatite (HA) was carried out. UHR-TEM observation provided evidence that HA nanoparticles are constituted by a crystalline core, elongated in the direction of the crystallographic c-axis, coated by an amorphous layer 1−2 nm thick. By means of IR spectroscopy and microgravimetry, the amount of water and hydroxy groups on the surface was evaluated. For the...