Comparative hydrothermal synthesis of hydroxyapatite by using cetyltrimethylammonium bromide and hexamethylenetetramine as additives

Comparative synthesis ways for preparing HA (Ca₁₀(PO₄)₆(OH)₂) nanoparticles in presence of hexamethylenetetramine (HMTA) and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) were carried out. The reactions were performed in a Teflon-lined stainless-steel reactor at 120 °C during 12 h. The effects of the additive concentration and the cooling mode (fast and slow) were analyzed. The obtained powders were characterized by X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Raman Spectroscopy, Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The two hydrothermal ways carried out for preparing HA nano powders produced a pure crystalline phase of HA. When the fast cooling mode was used, the obtained particles exhibited smaller mean particle sizes. The highest concentrations of used additives (HTMA or CTAB) resulted in opposite effect on the obtained mean particle size of HA particles. These observations were associated to the different behavior of these additives in the HA formation processes.