Preparation of Higly Porous Hydroxyapatite Ceramics from Cuttlefish Bone

Abstract: Hydroxyapatite, Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2, has been widely investigated for medical purposes because it is suitable for either direct clinical use as implants or tissue-engineering applications. In this work materials were successfully produced via hydrothermal transformation of aragonite, obtained from fresh cuttlefish bones, at 200°C and high pressures. Beyond low production cost, worldwide availability and natural–biological origin of raw materials, the produced materials have ideal pore size and interconnectivity features suitable for supporting biological activities, such as bone tissue growth and vascularization. The cuttlefish bone (Sepia officinalis L.) from Adriatic Sea was used. The samples of cuttlebone were pretreated, boiled with NaClO in order to remove the organic phase of the bone to accelerate the conversion. The substitution of CO3 groups predominantly into the PO4 sites of the HAP structure was determined by FTIR spectroscopy. SEM micrographs have shown that the interconnected hollow structure with pillars connecting parallel lamellae in cuttlefish bone is maintained after conversion. Specific surface area (SBET) and total pore volumes increased and mean pore size decreased by high temperature treatment.