In situ Biomimetic Fabrication and Characterization of Nano-hydroxyapatite/Chitosan Composite Microspheres

To solve the problem that nano-hydroxyapatite (nHA) crystals aggregation and non-uniformly distribution in nano-hydroxyapatite/chitosan (CS) composite microspheres, nHA/CS microspheres were prepared through in situ biomimetic method in water-in-oil (W/O) emulsions. The physical and chemical properties of the composite microspheres were investigated by scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), X-ray energy-dispersive spectroscope (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), fourier transform infrared spectroscope (FTIR) and laser particle size analyzer. The results indicate that the composite microspheres are spherical with average size of 8.62 μm and disperse uniformly. Moreover, the nHA crystals are dispersed uniformly within composite microspheres and bonded with CS matrix. The composite microspheres have great potential in bone tissue engineering and drug delivery system.