In situ synthesis of fluorapatite‐ZnO nanocomposite powder via mechanical alloying for biomedical applications

Shadi Salehi, Mahshid Kharaziha, Mehdi Salehi, Vahideh Saidi

This research aimed to synthesize of fluorapatite(FA)–ZnO (FAZ) nanocomposite powder using a one‐step mechanical alloying process without any post‐calcification process. Furthermore, the role of various concentrations of ZnO (0, 4, 8, 11, and 15 wt.%) on the chemical and biological characteristics of FA was examined. Our research confirmed the successful synthesize of FAZ nanopowders with irregular‐shaped particles and particle size of 38‐52 nm. The crystallinity, crystallite size, and c‐axes parameter of FA decreased with increasing ZnO content. Moreover, while all FAZ powders revealed superior bioactivity than FA, FA‐8 wt.% ZnO nanopowder significantly enhanced MG63 cell proliferation. Besides, between various samples, FA‐11 wt.% ZnO nanopowder revealed drastically greater antibacterial activity. It could be concluded that the in‐situ synthesis of FAZ powder meaningfully improved the biological activity of FA making it a promising coating for orthopedic and dental implants.