Fluorhydroxyapatite ceramics are increasingly studied for the use as biomaterials due to their good integration ability in the bone tissue and higher resorption resistance compared to the common hydroxyapatite (HA) ceramics. This study is aimed at the X-ray diffraction investigation of the interaction between HA and fluorapatite (FA) particulates in the sintering temperature range up to 1300 8C. The lattice parameters were calculated in dependence of both the FA content in the powder mixtures and the sintering temperature. From those data, the solid solution formation is concluded, at least in the temperature range from 1200 to 1300 8C. Energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis confirmed the fluorine distribution to be almost uniform in the sintered at 1300 8C ceramics. q

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Q-band electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) data conclusively demonstrate that the iron and cobalt centers in the solid solution [Fe(bpp)][Co(terpy)][BF] (bpp = 2,6-dipyrazol-1-ylpyridine) undergo allosteric spin-state switching during light-induced excited-spin-state trapping (LIESST) at 20 K and thermal relaxation around 80 K. EPR of [Cu(terpy)] and [Cu(bpp)], doped into the same host lattice, also indicates expansion of the copper coordination sphere during LIESST excitation.

Fluorinated hydroxyapatite is known to be less soluble by body fluids, resulting in enhanced resistance to biodegradation in vivo conditions, as compared to the pure hydroxyapatite ceramics. The present work was aimed at the investigation of the effect of minor additions of ultrafine fluorapatite (up to 10 wt%) on the sintering behavior and mechanical properties of hydroxyapatite ceramics. In vitro testing for the osteoblast-like cells viability and proliferation was performed with the samples of varying fluorapatite content. It was found that the fluorapatite addition hinders the sintering shrinkage and lowers the strength, but does not generally affect negatively the viability of the cells.

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