Synthesis of Hydroxyapatite/Iron Oxide Composite and Comparison of Selected Structural, Surface, and Electrochemical Properties

The paper presents the synthesis of a hydroxyapatite/iron oxide composite utilizing the wet chemical method, as well as the comparison of several selected material characteristics. As follows from the literature reports, hydroxyapatite is a common mineral possessing numerous significant properties. Nowadays, there is an increase in the amount of research on possible modifications of this compound. The promising way to improve hydroxyapatite features is its combination with iron oxide. Particularly, there can be two forms that are distinguished, namely Fe₃O₄ and γ-Fe₂O₃. These oxides exhibit valuable properties, particularly magnetism. A combination of the mentioned materials leads to multifunctional composite formation with many potential applications, as follows from several studies. However, this area of science is not fully developed. There are still many aspects to be examined. The synthesized composite and its components were analyzed by employing the following methods. The X-ray diffraction analysis revealed formation of hydroxyapatite and Fe₂O₃ crystalline phases. Moreover, porosimetry proved a larger specific area for the composite sample in comparison with other materials. The results obtained using the SEM method confirmed an external layer of hydroxyapatite and spherical shapes of internal Fe₂O₃ particles. Furthermore, the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy data presented characteristic peaks of Fe, Ca, P, and O atoms in all samples. The Fourier Transform Infrared spectra displayed all the specific vibrations typical of the analyzed materials. What is more, the Vibrating Sample Magnetometer method confirmed the paramagnetic nature of the samples. It could be concluded that the synthesized composite has intermediate properties between the components used in the formation process. The results suggest that these composites are superparamagnetic. This type of material architecture would be well suited for biomedical applications.