Microwave-Assisted Synthesis of Ion-Doped β-Tri-Calcium Phosphate Powders

Abstract

Bioceramic materials have become prominent among the other biomaterials due to their exceptional properties such as high biocompatibility, corrosion and wear resistance, aesthetic appearance, etc. β-Tri-calcium phosphate (β-TCP, Ca₃(PO₄)₂) is a well-known bioceramic material. It is widely used in coating, powder, or paste/putty form due to its bioresorbable character that enables rapid healing of the damaged hard tissues. Therefore, several methods are developed to obtain β-TCP practically. Nowadays, the microwave-assisted synthesis technique draws attention owing to advantages like producing sub-micron-sized and uniform particles in shorter operation durations than conventional methods, easy control of the process parameters, etc. In this research, β-TCP powders doped with antibacterial ions and ions that promote osteogenesis were fabricated following the microwave-assisted synthesis procedure. Briefly, the preparation of the Ca and P sources, the reaction between them in the modified household-type microwave oven, centrifuging, drying, and heat treatment steps were sequentially applied to achieve the un-doped and ion-doped β-TCP powders. X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) were used to analyze the chemical phases and surface features of the powders, respectively. The bioactive behavior of the microwave-assisted synthesized powders was evaluated according to the simulated body fluid (SBF) immersion tests.