The effect of hyperbranched poly(acrylic acid)s on the morphology and size of precipitated nanoscale (fluor)hydroxyapatite

J Mater Chem B. 2017 Aug 14;5(30):6027-6033. doi: 10.1039/c7tb00144d. Epub 2017 Jul 19.

Abstract

Hydroxyapatite and fluorhydroxyapatite (F)HA nanoparticles were synthesised in the presence of branched poly(acrylic acid)s (PAA) synthesised via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerisation and compared to those synthesised in the presence of linear PAA. Analysis of the resulting nanoparticles using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction and transition electron microscopy found that the polymer was included within the nanoparticle samples and affected their morphology with nanoparticles synthesised in the presence of branched PAA being more acicular and smaller overall.