2-Dodecylmalonic acid-mediated synthesis of mineralized hydroxyapatite amicable for bone cell growth on orthopaedic implant

The present study illustrates the use of 2-dodecylmalonic acid (MA) as a template in biomineralization-inspired synthesis of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (HANPs). HANPs synthesized in presence of various concentrations of MA displayed varying particle size and shape. The smallest particle size (22-27 nm) was obtained for MA(2)-HANP synthesized in presence of 37 mu M MA. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) for MA at pH 9.0 relevant for mineralization was similar to 35 mu M. AFM analysis revealed that at a low concentration of 10 mu M and pH 9.0, MA could generate oblong-shaped aggregates. At 40 mu M, comparable to the concentration used to generate MA(2)-HANP, the amphiphile self-assembled to form a spherical soft scaffold, which likely regulated spatial confinement of ions during mineralization and generated small size HANPs. Osteoblast-like MG-63 cells seeded on titanium wire (TW) coated with MA(2)-HANP-incorporated collagen type I (H-TW) displayed enhanced cell proliferation, high expression of osteogenic differentiation marker genes (Col I, ALP, OCN and Runx2) and copious calcium mineral deposition after 14 days of growth. The nuanced role of the self-assembly process of an amphiphilic template in HANP mineralization unravelled in the present study can guide future scaffold design for biomineralization-inspired synthesis of HANPs tailored for bone tissue engineering applications. (C) 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This study demonstrates the use of 2-dodecylmalonic acid as a template in biomineralization-inspired synthesis of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles, showing that it can regulate particle size and shape at different concentrations. The self-assembly of the amphiphilic template plays a nuanced role in the mineralization process, guiding scaffold design for bone tissue engineering applications.