Facile Template-free Synthesis of Carbonated Hydroxyapatite Spheres in Aqueous Solution

Prickly carbonated hydroxyapatite(CHAp) spheres were obtained via a facile template-free self-assembly method with Na₂HPO₄ and self-made cubic CaCO₃ as reactants. X-ray diffraction results of the product revealed CHAp with high crystallinity could be successfully prepared in a short reaction time. A nucleation mechanism was proposed according to the results of characterizing the resultant powders and analyzing the growth process. It shows that the self-made CaCO₃ particles play an important role in the template-free synthesis of prickly spheres.