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Calcium phosphates offer outstanding biological adaptability. Thanks to their specific physico-chemical properties they are one of the most widely used materials in bone tissue engineering applications. The search for an innovative and economic strategy of synthesizing their different forms has been drawing considerable attention in the field. Herein, we report on a facile hydrothermal process in the presence of ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid and monoethanolamine to obtain various forms of calcium phosphates. The monoethanolamine served as an alkaline source and crystal growth modifier, while ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid was used to control the Ca2+ supersaturation level under high temperature and high pressure conditions. The obtained inorganic compounds were examined for their elemental composition, morphology, and structure using scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and powder x-ray diffraction. We were able to selectively synthesize monetite plate-like microcrystals as well as hydroxyapatite plates and nanofibers by simply varying the concentration of monoethanolamine.

Nanotechnology is a very attractive tool for tailoring the surface of an orthopedic implant to optimize its interaction with the biological environment. Nanostructured interfaces are promising, especially for orthopedic applications. They can not only improve osseointegration between the implant and the living bone but also may be used as drug delivery platforms. The nanoporous structure can be used as a drug carrier to the surrounding tissue, with the intention to accelerate tissue–implant integration as well as to reduce and treat bacterial infections occurring after implantation. Titanium oxide nanotubes are promising for such applications; however, their brittle nature could be a significantly limiting factor. In this work, we modified the topography of commercially used titanium foil by the anodization process and hydrothermal treatment. As a result, we obtained a crystalline nanoporous u-shaped structure (US) of anodized titanium oxide with improved resistance to scratch compared to TiO2 nanotubes. The US titanium substrate was successfully modified with hydroxyapatite coating and investigated for bioactivity. Results showed high bioactivity in simulated body fluid (SBF) after two weeks of incubation.

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