Hydroxyapatite is a calcium phosphate intensively proposed as a bone substitution material because of its resemblance to the constituents of minerals present in natural bone. Since hydroxyapatite's properties are mainly adequate for non-load bearing applications, different solutions are being tested for improving these properties and upgrading them near the target-values of natural bone. On the other hand, starch (a natural and biodegradable polymer) and its blends with other polymers have been proposed as constituents in hydroxyapatite mixtures due to the adhesive, gelling and swelling abilities of starch particles, useful in preparing well dispersed suspensions and consolidated ceramic bodies. This article presents the perspectives of

This article presents a facile synthesis method used to obtain new composite films based on polylactic acid and micro-structured hydroxyapatite particles. The composite films were synthesized starting from a polymeric solution in chloroform (12 wt.%) in which various concentrations of hydroxyapatite (1, 2, and 4 wt.% related to polymer) were homogenously dispersed using ultrasonication followed by solvent evaporation. The synthesized composite films were morphologically (through SEM and atomic force microscopy (AFM)) and structurally (through FT-IR and Raman spectroscopy) characterized. The thermal behavior of the composite films was also determined. The SEM and AFM analyses showed the presence of micro-structured hydroxyapatite particles in the film’s structure, as well as changes in the surface morphology. There was a significant decrease in the crystallinity of the composite films compared to the pure polymer, this being explained by a decrease in the arrangement of the polymer chains and a concurrent increase in the degree of their clutter. The presence of hydroxyapatite crystals did not have a significant influence on the degradation temperature of the composite film.

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Lately Hydroxyapatite has gained a lot of research interest and intense focus due to its structural as well as compositional similarity to the components of human bone mineral. The conversion of calcium-rich precursors to hydroxyapatite could lead to the development of a new sustainable alternative with a valuable environmental and socioeconomically impact. Still, current approaches faces lots of challenges in terms of synthesis parameters compatible to a reproducible route for calcium phosphates (hydroxyapatite included) synthesis. The optimization of Rathje synthesis route and