Investigation on the structural, mechanical and in vitro biocompatibility features of CaZr<sub>4</sub> (PO<sub>4</sub> )<sub>6</sub> influenced by Zn<sup>2+</sup> substitutions.

Kumar, Manish; Vasanthavel, Subramaniyan; K Khan, Mohd Imran; Dhayalan, Arunkumar; Kannan, Sanjeevi · J Biomed Mater Res B Appl Biomater · 2020

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

The present study explores the possibility of Zn<sup>2+</sup> substituted calcium zirconium phosphate [CaZr<sub>4</sub> (PO<sub>4</sub> )<sub>6</sub> ] as a potential replacement for the existing materials in load bearing orthopedic applications. Pure CaZr<sub>4</sub> (PO<sub>4</sub> )<sub>6</sub> ) and wide range of Zn<sup>2+</sup> substitutions in CaZr<sub>4</sub> (PO<sub>4</sub> )<sub>6</sub> have been synthesized through citrate assisted sol-gel technique. The characterization results confirmed the extraordinary structural stability displayed by CaZr<sub>4</sub> (PO<sub>4</sub> )<sub>6</sub> until 1,550°C. Further, the flexibility of CaZr<sub>4</sub> (PO<sub>4</sub> )<sub>6</sub> lattice to accommodate 40 mol% of Zn<sup>2+</sup> has been determined. The microstructures of CaZr<sub>4</sub> (PO<sub>4</sub> )<sub>6</sub> and Zn<sup>2+</sup> substituted CaZr<sub>4</sub> (PO<sub>4</sub> )<sub>6</sub> demonstrated irregular sized grains and cracks alongside the negligence to obtain definite grain boundaries. This has been reflected in the moderate mechanical properties of the investigated specimen; nevertheless, Zn<sup>2+</sup> substituted CaZr<sub>4</sub> (PO<sub>4</sub> )<sub>6</sub> displayed enhanced mechanical stability. Further, in vitro tests signified the remarkable biocompatibility and alkaline phosphatase activity of Zn<sup>2+</sup> substituted CaZr<sub>4</sub> (PO<sub>4</sub> )<sub>6</sub> .

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