Preparation and Characterization of Hydroxyapatite Nanotubes

Abstract As the key mineral component of human bones, hydroxyapatite (HA) has grasped much attention due to its outstanding biocompatibility, bioactivity and osteoconductive properties. Among different morphologies of HA materials, the special structure and good performance of HA nanotubes has been the focus of many scientific researchers. HA nanomaterials with hollow tube shapes have a relatively high surface area, low density and good mechanical property. However, the simple and convenient procedure to synthesize well distributed HA nanotubes is still rare. In this article, HA nanotubes with tens of nanometers in diameter and hundreds of microns in length were successfully synthesized via a simple solvothermal route. Calcium oleate and sodium hexametaphosphate are selected as the calcium source and phosphorus source, respectively. The surface structure of the HA nanotubes was observed under a scanning electron microscope. The synthesized HA nanotubes can be used in the area of adsorption, drug delivery and treatment of disease.