Structural studies of magnesium doped hydroxyapatite coatings after osteoblast culture

Hydroxyapatite and magnesium modified hydroxyapatite were deposited on nitrited Ti6AI4V substrates by use of pulsed laser deposition technique. Three target materials consisting of non-modified and magnesium modified hydroxyapatite with Mg content of 0.6 wt.% and 1.8 wt.% were ablated using an ArF excimer laser. The obtained coatings were analyzed using X-ray diffraction, FTIR and AFM methods in order to determine the influence of magnesium on their phase and chemical composition, crystallinity, surface morphology and biological properties. Doping with low concentration of Mg does not significantly influence the HA morphology but improves osteoblast adhesion as compared to pure HA. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.