Facile Template-free Synthesis of Carbonated Hydroxyapatite Spheres in Aqueous Solution

Prickly carbonated hydroxyapatite（CHAp） spheres were obtained via a facile template-free self-assembly method with Na2HPO4 and self-made cubic CaCO3 as reactants. X-ray diffraction results of the product revealed CHAp with high crystallinity could be successfully prepared in a short reaction time. A nucleation mechanism was proposed according to the results of characterizing the resultant powders and analyzing the growth process. It shows that the self-made CaCO3 particles play an important role in the template-free synthesis of prickly spheres.