Euler Araujo dos Santos

Response of osteoblastic cells to titanium submitted to three different surface treatments

In the complex process of bone formation at the implant-tissue interface, surface properties are relevant factors modulating osteoblastic function. In this study, commercially pure titanium (cp Ti) samples were prepared with different surface characteristics using chemical attack with a sulfuric acid/hydrochloric acid based solution (treatment A); chemical attack plus anodic oxidation using phosphoric acid (treatment B); and chemical attack plus thermal oxidation followed by immersion in a sodium fluoride solution (treatment C). The samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), contact profilometry and contact angle. The biological performance of the prepared surfaces was evaluated using mice osteoblastic cell cultures for up to 21 days. Cells seeded on the different titanium samples showed similar behavior during cell attachment and spreading. However, cellular proliferation and differentiation were higher for samples submitted to treatments A and C (p < or = 0.05; n = 3), which were less rough and showed surface free energy with smaller polar components.

Synthesis of magnesium- and manganese-doped hydroxyapatite structures assisted by the simultaneous incorporation of strontium

Samples of crystalline hydroxyapatite (HA) with and without the addition of individual Mg(2+), Mn(2+) and Sr(2+) ions and samples with the addition of all three ions simultaneously were prepared using the precipitation method in an aqueous medium. Chemical, structural, spectroscopic and thermophysical analyses of the synthesized samples were conducted. The obtained results indicate that Sr(2+) ions were easily incorporated into the HA crystal structure, whereas it was difficult to incorporate Mg(2+) and Mn(2+) ions into the HA lattice when these ions were individually introduced into the samples. The synthesis of HA with Mg(2+) or Mn(2+) ions is characterized by the formation of HA with a low concentration of doping elements that is outweighed by the amount of these atoms present in less biocompatible phases that formed simultaneously. However, the incorporation of Sr(2+) along with Mg(2+) and Mn(2+) ions into the samples allowed for the synthesis of HA with considerably higher concentrations of Mg(2+) and Mn(2+) in the crystal lattice.

The influence of the counter ion competition and nature of solvent on the adsorption of mercury halides on SH-modified silica gel

Abstract The adsorption behavior of thiol-modified silica gel, SiSH, towards mercury (II) chloride and bromide in water, ethanol, methanol and water–methanol solutions has been studied by a batch technique. The influence of the counter-ion competition and mixture of solvents were investigated. The Langmuir expression for adsorption isotherm was applied in order to determine the maximum adsorption capacity to form a monolayer, N mon , and the constant related to the adsorption intensity, b. In aqueous solutions there was a significant adsorption increase with the temperature and pronounced synergistic effects were observed. Adsorption measurements made in water(w)/methanol(MeOH) mixtures indicated that the synergism effect of mercury adsorption followed the order 75% (w)+25% (MeOH)>50% (w)+50% (MeOH)>25% (w)+75% (MeOH). From temperature effect on adsorption, exothermic enthalpy changes for a monolayer of anchored cations per gram of surface, Δ mon H m , are shown to be consistent with our previous calorimetric results for similar systems. The antagonistic effects for Δ mon H m results showed that the counter-ion competition is not favorable to the mercury/surface interaction strengths.

Crystallographic Aspects Regarding the Insertion of Ag+ Ions into a Hydroxyapatite Structure

The objective of this study was to evaluate how silver can be inserted into hydroxyapatite (HA) via two distinct processes: co-doping with CO32- via precipitation in an aqueous medium and immersion of preformed HA crystals into Ag+ solutions. It was concluded that although Ag+ and Ca2+ have different radii, the accommodation of Ag+ ions in the Ca2+ sites of the hydroxyapatite lattice can be explained by the models proposed for inserting monovalent ions such as Na+. In this case, because Ag+ ions are larger than Ca2+ ions and have a different charge, the Ag+ ions are stabilized in the HA structure by co-substitution with CO32- ions in both the A- and B-type sites. This simultaneous insertion of Ag+ and CO32- appears to thermally stabilize the HA phase because no phase transformation is observed after calcination. In addition, the doping of HA with Ag+ ions can clearly occur via two routes: co-precipitation in the presence of these ions or diffusion in preformed hydroxyapatite crystals. This result appears to indicate the possibility of doping HA with Ag+ using less complex routes at ambient temperature and with prefabricated implants or biomaterials, which reduces the costs of producing devices with antibacterial effects.

Simultaneous Insertion of Mg2+, Sr2+ and Mn2+ Ions into Hydroxyapatite Structure

The current trends in bioactive ceramics point out the ionic substitution in hydroxyapatite (HA) as a concrete way to create new active ceramics with a high developed biomimetic character. Accordingly, our objective in this work was investigating the effects of the simultaneous replacement of Ca2+ ions for Mg2+, Sr2+ and Mn2+ into the crystalline structure of HA.

Effect of Surface Charge on the Apatite Mineralization Process

In this current study it was investigated the influence of positively and negatively charged surfaces on apatite nucleation process from a supersaturate solution containing calcium and phosphorus (SBF solution). Glass slides were coated with polyelectrolytes thin films using a standard method to produce self-assembled monolayers (SAMs). Slides without treatment were used as control. Positive and negative glass slides were soaking in simulated body fluid (1.5 SBF) for 2, 8, 24 and 96 hours. The surfaces were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Accordingly, the apatite mineralization was observed on all surfaces, no matter the surface charge. No remarkable morphological changes were verified between the precipitate in both positive and negative surfaces. It suggests that the crystal growth is not influenced by the initial attraction between either a negative surface and Ca2+ ions or a positive one and PO43- ions.

The Equilibrium between Calcite and Apatite Precipitation onto Bioglass from Three Different Aqueous Media

It has been reported that there is a slight equilibrium between calcite and apatite precipitation from SBF solution during typical bioactivity assays, once it is supersaturating in both ionic precursors. In order to better understand this mechanism, we have proposed here to evaluate the role of three different aqueous medium (water, SBF and McCoy), under equilibrium (agitation) and out of equilibrium (no agitation).

Nanostructures of Hydroxyapatite in Pluronic F 127: Preparation and Structural Characterization

In this work, nanocomposites of hydroxyapatite and Pluronic F127 were prepared by a wet chemical method, using acid-basic reaction with Ca/P ratio of 1.67 in 10% (m/V) Pluronic F127 at 0, 37 and 90°C. The final concentration of Pluronic F127 was adjusted to 37% (m/V) at 4°C. Afterwards, the samples were lyophilized. Characterization was performed in purified samples (after Pluronic F127 removal), samples with 10% (m/V) of Pluronic F127 and calcined samples at 1000°C by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Analyses by XRD of non-calcined samples showed that hydroxyapatite was obtained, in which the samples prepared at 0°C exhibited larger peaks attributed to lower crystallite sizes. For the calcined samples, both Raman spectroscopy and XRD exhibited hydroxyapatite for the syntheses at 37 and 90°C whereas the one prepared 90°C were identified as β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP). Morphological analysis by SEM indicated that the hydroxyapatite was sphere or rod agglomerates in mesoporous morphology for the nanocomposites prepared at 0 and 37°C, while the sample prepared at 90°C was nanospheres agglomerated into a smother matrix. After Pluronic F127 removal, samples fabricated at 0 and 37 °C exhibited coalescence of the nanostructures, whereas the sample synthesized at 90°C kept mesoporous. Calcined samples showed sintering and some rods structures.