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Aqueous Microgels for the Growth of Hydroxyapatite Nanocrystals
journal contribution
posted on 2008-05-06, 00:00 authored by Susann Schachschal, Andrij Pich, Hans-Juergen AdlerIn present article, we demonstrate that aqueous microgels can be used as containers for the in-situ synthesis of
hydroxyapatite. The hydroxyapatite nanocrystals (HAp NCs) become integrated into microgels forming hybrid colloids.
The HAp NCs loaded in the microgel can be varied over a broad range. The HAp NCs are localized within the microgel
corona. The deposition of the inorganic nanocrystals decreases the colloidal stability of the microgels and leads to
particle aggregation at high HAp NCs loading. Because of the strong interactions between HAp NCs and polymer
chains, the swelling degree of microgels decreases, and temperature-sensitive properties disappear at high loading of
the inorganic component. We demonstrate that hybrid colloids can be used as building blocks for the preparation of
nanostructured films on solid substrates.