Hydroxyapatite Coatings Produced by Surface-Induced Mineralizaiton

The surface-induced mineralization (SIM) process is based on the observation that, in nature, organisms use biopolymers to produce ceramic composites such as teeth, bones, and shells. The SIM process involves modification of a surface to introduce surface functionalization followed by immersion in aqueous supersaturated calcium phosphate solutions. This room temperature process has advantages over conventional methods of calcium phosphate deposition in that uniform coatings are produced onto complex-shaped and/or microporous samples. Additionally, because it is a room temperature process, biological agents can be incorporated.