Incorporation of nanosized carbon over hydroxyapatite (HAp) surface using DC glow discharge plasma for biomedical application

Hydroxyapatite (HAp) is a well-known material of choice in numerous biomedical applications such as orthopaedics, dentistry etc., because of its similar configuration to the mineral phase of natural bone. Research studies report that addition of nano-carbon materials in HAp improves the morphology, structural and chemical properties. It also enhances the bioactivity of HAp to make it as suitable for bone engineering, drug and gene delivery applications. We have modified the surface of the synthesized HAp by incorporating nano-carbon through DC low-temperature plasma-based technique. This was achieved by varying the plasma processing parameters such as voltage, gas flow rate and processing time. The structural, morphological, chemical state, functional group and biological studies for the as-prepared and plasma processed samples were carried out using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM), High ResolutionTransmission Electron Microscope (HR-TEM), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier Transform infra-Red spectroscopy (FTIR) and Simulated Body Fluid (SBF) test, cytotoxicity analysis respectively. HR-TEM and FESEM images shows the hexagonal shape and the carbon present in the core shell of HAp. In SBF test, FESEM results confirming the formation of smooth apatite particles over the nano-carbon HAp surface.

Automated summary

Hydroxyapatite (HAp) is a commonly used material in biomedical applications, with the addition of nano-carbon enhancing its properties and surface modification achieved through plasma-based technique. Various analyses demonstrate the characteristics and bioactivity of nano-carbon HAp surface.