Antimicrobial Properties of Silver-doped Hydroxyapatite Nano-powders and Thin Films

Silver-doped hydroxyapatite nano-powders were prepared using a solution based sol-gel method and thoroughly characterized using x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). Antibacterial tests showed silver-doped HAP powders prevented the growth and reproduction of bacteria. Silver-doped HAP powders were pressed into pellets and on these pellets a pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique was employed to grow amorphous and crystalline thin films on sapphire substrates. Crystalline films had silver nano-particles present within the HAP matrix. Film stability tests showed crystalline films to be far more stable in prolonged solution submersion than their amorphous counterparts.