The chemical and physical characteristics of nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite particles which formed during the subcutaneous implantation of crab shell in Sprague-Dawley rats were studied using selected area electron diffraction (SAED) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The initial SAED characterization evidence indicated the presence of an amorphous calcium phosphate phase. The electron dense nanophase particles which formed in the wound healing zone displayed broad diffuse rings which usually indicate a low crystalline order or amorphous phase. High resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) revealed that these mineralized regions contained discrete single crystal particles less than 5nm in size. Micrographs taken at successively higher magnifications revealed very small nanoparticles with a hexagonal arrangement of ion channels with characteristic spacing of 0.54nm and 0.23nm. This study revealed that single crystal hydroxyapatite nanoparticles consisting of only a few unit cells formed via a biomineralization directed process.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.