Influence of nickel on hydroxyapatite crystallization

The influence of Ni on the crystallinity and thermal stability of calcium-nickel hydroxyapatite solid solutions was studied by,x-ray diffraction, infrared and Raman spectroscopy and thermal and chemical analysis. The data reported confirm the assumption that nickel produces a reduction in the degree of crystallinity and a decrease in thermal stability of the synthesized materials. The effect of nickel on calcium Hydroxyapatite (CaHap) crystallization is similar to that exhibited by Mg and Zn. However, in this case, the substituent influence is not limited to the crystal surface and it was possible to determine its incorporation into the CaHap structure. Copyright (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.