Facile Synthesis of Hydroxyapatite Nanorods with Controlled Sizes and Morphologies

High quality hydroxyapatite (HAP) nanorods have been synthesized at 180 °C by a facile hydrothermal method using calcium chloride and diammonium hydrogen phosphate as precursors in the absence of any surfactants. The diameters and lengths of HAP nanorods are in the range of 40-80 nm and 0.2-2.0 μm respectively. The sizes and morphologies of HAP nanorods can be controlled by adjusting the synthetic parameters, such as reaction temperatures, and types of surfactants. A possible mechanism was also proposed to explain the growth of the HAP nanorods.