Zinc-Substituted Hydroxyapatite: Synthesis, Structural Analysis, and Antimicrobial Behavior

Recently, ion-substituted hydroxyapatite (HAP) is gaining popularity due to the additional advantages obtained by the presence of other elements. In the current work, zinc-substituted nano-hydroxyapatite powder (Zn-HAP) has been synthesized through wet chemical synthesis process. The synthesized nano-powders were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffractometry (XRD). From the results, it was evident that the produced powders were in the nano-level and without impurities. Furthermore, the XRD analysis of heated powders (1000 °C) revealed the presence of β-TCP, which was an indication that the produced powder was calcium deficient due to the substituted Zn. The results were also compared with pure HAP. Using XRD data, Rietveld refinement was carried out to assess the parameters of the unit cell and positions of ions in the Zn-HAP. The synthesized Zn-HAP powders were tested for antimicrobial properties by exposing them to two different bacterial strains; Sporosarcina pasteurii(S. pasteurii) and Escherichia coli(E. Coli). From the results, Zn-HAP was observed with a higher potential toward inhibiting the growth of the bacterium compared with that of pure HAP.