Antibacterial activity of zinc oxide (ZnO) or strengthening of hydroxylapatite whisker (HAPw) had been studied and applied widely. However, antibacterial property of ZnO-HAPw was scarcely researched nowadays. The aim of this study was to further investigate several kinds of morphologies of ZnO-HAPw prepared by sol-gel technology at different pondus hydrogenii (pH) value and temperature. Four kinds of morphologies of ZnO-HAPw were granule, triangle, short rod and gongs nail at 70°C and pH=6.4, 37°C and pH=6.6, 70°C and pH=6.6, 70°C and pH=6.6. The SEM images of HAPw and ZnO-HAPw samples showed that the HAPw surface was smooth and no difference after annealing treatment. In addition, different shapes of nanoZnO fused uniformly on the HAPw surface. The EDS indicates nanoZnO fuses on HAPw surface.

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This study aimed to compare three different methods for the modification of aluminium borate whiskers and investigate the effect of aluminium borate whiskers composites on flexural properties of dental resin composites. Method A was to mix aluminium borate whiskers and silicon dioxide (SiO2) nanoparticles directly. Method B was to modify the mixture of aluminium borate whiskers and SiO2nanoparticles with sol-gel process of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS). Method C was to modify the aluminium borate whiskers with SiO2nanoparticles which were repaired by sol-gel method of TEOS. The effects of the three methods were characterized by the TEM and SEM. There was a significant difference (p<0.05) in the flexural strength among three methods. Group C had a flexural strength of 149.59 ± 12.86 MPa (mean ± SD; n = 5), which is significantly higher than 95.28 ± 4.53 MPa for Group A and 123.14 ± 17.37 MPa for Group B. It is concluded that ceramic whisker reinforcement significantly improves the flexural properties of resin composites; different methods produce different effects.