title: Formation of nano-hydroxyapatite in gelatin droplets and the resulting porous composite microspheres.
abstract: A one-pot strategy was first presented in this paper to synthesize gelatin/hydroxyapatite (HAP) composite microspheres in a water-in-oil (W/O) emulsion. Using gelatin droplets as microreactors and colloid protective medium, needle-like nano-HAP crystals (5 nm x 60-100 nm) in form of clusters were homogeneously and orderly precipitated within gelatin matrix. The results of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that the as-prepared microspheres with an average diameter of 7.5 microm displayed a narrow particle size distribution, a high dispersity and a naturally porous structure. This microsphere material is expected to have a great potential for both controlled drug release and faster bone in-growth in bone tissue engineering.
authors.affiliation: Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100080, China.
authors.forename: Shuhua
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Teng
authors.forename: Lijuan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yanchuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Jingjing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shi
mesh_terms: D017886:Durapatite / Q000737:chemistry*; D004655:Emulsions / Q000737:chemistry; D005780:Gelatin / Q000737:chemistry*; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D008863:Microspheres; D008956:Models, Chemical; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D016062:Porosity
chemical_list: D004655:Emulsions; D005780:Gelatin; D017886:Durapatite