Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2015
Abstract
Mysteries surrounding the most important mineral for the vertebrate biology, hydroxyapatite, are many. Perhaps the Greek root of its name, απαταo, meaning ‘to deceive’ and given to its mineral form by the early gem collectors who confused it with more precious stones, is still applicable today, though in a different connotation, descriptive of a number of physicochemical peculiarities exhibited by it. Comparable to water as the epitome of peculiarities in the realm of liquids, hydroxyapatite can serve as a paradigm for peculiarities in the world of solids. Ten of the peculiar properties of hydroxyapatite are sketched in this review piece, ranging from (i) the crystal lattice flexibility to (ii) notorious surface layer instability to (iii) finite piezoelectricity, pyroelectricity and conductivity to protons to (iv) accelerated growth and improved osteoconductivity in the electromagnetic fields to (v) high nucleation rate at low supersaturations and low crystal growth rate at high supersaturations to (vi) higher bioactivity and resorbability of biological apatite compared to the synthetic ones, and beyond. An attempt has been made to explain this array of curious characteristics by referring to a particular element of the crystal structure of hydroxyapatite: the hydroxyl ion channel extending in the direction of the c-axis, through a crystallographic column created by the overlapping calcium ion triangles.
Recommended Citation
Uskoković V. The role of hydroxyl channel in defining selected physicochemical peculiarities exhibited by hydroxyapatite. RSC Adv. 2015;5:36614-36633. doi:10.1039/C4RA17180B.
Copyright
Royal Society of Chemistry
Comments
This is a pre-copy-editing, author-produced PDF of an article accepted for publication in RSC Advances, volume 5, in 2015 following peer review. The definitive publisher-authenticated version is available online at DOI: 10.1039/C4RA17180B.