Hydroxyapatite substrates are common biomaterials, yet samples of natural teeth do not meet the demands for well-defined, highly reproducible properties. Pellets of hydroxyapatite were produced via the field assisted sintering technology (FAST) as well as via pressureless sintering (PLS). The applied synthesis routes provide samples of very high density (95%-99% of the crystallographic density) and of very low surface roughness (lower than 1 nm when averaged per 1 μm2). The chemical composition of the raw material (commercial HAP powder) as well as the crystalline structure is maintained by the sintering processes. These specimens can therefore be considered as promising model surfaces for studies on the interactions of biomaterial with surfaces of biological relevance, as demonstrated for the adsorption of BSA proteins.
Keywords: SEM); X-ray diffraction (XRD); X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS); atomic force microscopy (AFM); electron backscattering diffraction (EBSD); field assisted sintering technology (FAST); hydroxyapatite (HAP); pressureless sintering (PLS); protein adsorption; transmission/scanning electron microscopy (TEM.