Synthesis and characterization of sintered Sr/Fe-modified hydroxyapatite bioceramics for bone tissue engineering applications

In the current study, Sr/Fe co-substituted HAp bioceramics were prepared by sonication-assisted aqueous chemical precipitation method followed by sintering at 1100°C for bone tissue regeneration applications. The sintered bioceramics were analyzed for various structural and chemical properties through XRD, SEM, and FTIR, which confirmed the phase purity of HAp and Sr/Fe co-substitution into its lattice. The Vickers hardness measurement, high blood-compatibility (less than 5% hemolysis), and ability to support the adhesion, proliferation, and osteogenic differentiation of hMSCs suggest the suitability of Sr/Fe:HAp bioceramics for bone implant applications. The physicochemical analysis revealed that the developed Sr/Fe:HAp bioceramics exhibited polyphasic nature (HAp and βTCP) with almost identical structural morphology having particle size less than 0.8 μm. The dielectric constant (e^') and dielectric loss (e^'') were potentially affected by the incorporated foreign ions together with polyphasic nature of ...