IR Spectroscopic Study of the Interaction of Transition Metal Ions with Hydroxyapatite Modified by Potassium Ferrocyanide

IR spectroscopy was used to study the modification of hydroxyapatite by potassium ferrocyanide and the interaction of transition metal ions with the modified adsorbent. The structural changes of hydroxyapatite upon the adsorption of Zn²⁺ ions were studied by X-ray phase analysis. Potassium ferrocyanide was found to interact with the surface hydroxyl groups of hydroxyapatite through the nitrogen unshared electron pair. Co²⁺, Ni²⁺, and Zn²⁺ ions were found to eliminate outer-sphere K⁺ ions of adsorbed ferrocyanide to give Fe²⁺— CN—M²⁺— NC—Fe²⁺ bridging structures. Zn²⁺ cations additionally eliminate a part of the Ca²⁺ ions from structural positions of hydroxyapatite, which leads to the appearance of a two-phase hydroxyapatite–sholzite system with heterogeneous distribution of the Ca²⁺ ions in the mot her mineral phase, while the Zr²⁺ ions are found in the new sholzite phase.