Lazaro Calderin

Structure and composition of silicon-stabilized tricalcium phosphate

Silicon stabilized tricalcium phosphate [Si-TCP] is formed within the calcium hydroxyapatite (HA)-tricalcium phosphate (TCP) system when a stoichiometric precipitate of hydroxyapatite is fired at 1,000 degrees in the presence of SiO(2). This paper proposes a composition range and crystallographic structure for Si-TCP. Reitveld XRD powder diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, infrared and proton nuclear magnetic resonance measurements show that crystalline Si-TCP is associated with the displacement of OH from an initial hydroxyapatite structure. The resulting calcium phosphate is modified by the incorporation of silicon into its structure with excess silica contributing to an amorphous component. Si-TCP has a monoclinic structure with a space group P2(1)/a akin to alpha-TCP with estimated lattice constants of a=12.863+/-0.004 A, b=9.119 +/-0.003 A, c=15.232+/-0.004 A, beta=126.3+/-0.1 degrees. It is proposed that Si(4+) substitutes for P(5+)in the TCP lattice with the average chemical composition of Si-TCP set primarily by the mechanisms available for charge compensation. While the formation of OH vacancies in HA initiates the transformation to Si-TCP, two mechanisms of charge compensation in the Si-TCP structure are plausible. If O(2-) vacancies provide charge compensation, the composition of Si-TCP is Ca(3)(P(0.9)Si(0.1)O(3.95))(2) derived for the addition of 0.33 mol SiO(2):mol HA. If excess Ca(2+) compensates, the composition is Ca(3.08)(P(0.92)Si(0.08)O(4))(2) derived for the addition of 0.25 mol SiO(2):mol HA. The reaction occurs most effectively when SiO(2) is added as a colloidal suspension rather than by the in-situ thermal decomposition of a silicon metallorganic compound. The material is a bioceramic of major biological interest because of its osteoconductivity and unique influence on skeletal tissue repair and remodeling.

Density functional study of structural, electronic and vibrational properties of mg- and zn-doped tricalcium phosphate biomaterials.

Zn- and to a lesser extent Mg-releasing tricalcium phosphate (Zn- and Mg-TCP) have excellent bioactivities which do not exist in their parent TCP base. However, the mechanisms through which the dopants affect the properties are not known. In order to gain insight from geometrical and electronic structures and chemical bonding, ab initio density functional calculations have been performed for these materials using cluster models. The results show a distorted structure for Zn-TCP which may be related to its bioactivity, whereas no such distortion was found for TCP and Mg-TCP. The infrared spectra of these materials has been calculated, and the relationship to the structure investigated.

Structural, dynamic, and electronic properties of liquid tin: An ab initio molecular dynamics study

We report on a study of several structural, dynamic, and electronic properties of liquid Sn at a thermodynamic state close to the triple point (573 K) and another one at a higher temperature (1273 K). This study has been performed by ab initio molecular dynamics simulations using 205 atoms and around 20 ps of simulation time. The calculated static structures show a good agreement with the available experimental data. The dynamic structure factors fairly agree with their experimental counterparts obtained by inelastic x-ray scattering experiments, which display inelastic side peaks. The calculated dispersion relations exhibit a positive dispersion, although not so marked as suggested by the experiment; moreover, its slope at the long-wavelength limit compares favorably with the experimental sound velocity. Electron densities near selected triplets of atoms are similar to those appearing in the solid phases, but these features have an extremely short lifetime, so they should not be considered as solid remnants in the melt.

Ab initio molecular dynamics study of the static, dynamic, and electronic properties of liquid mercury at room temperature

We report a study on several static, dynamic, and electronic properties of liquid Hg at room temperature. We have performed ab initio molecular dynamics simulations using Kohn-Sham density functional theory combined with a nonlocal ultrasoft pseudopotential. The calculated static structure shows good agreement with the available experimental data. We present results for the single-particle dynamics, and recent experimental data are analyzed. The calculated dynamic structure factors S(q,omega) fairly agree with their experimental counterparts as measured by inelastic x-ray (and neutron) scattering experiments. The dispersion relation exhibits a positive dispersion, which however is not so marked as suggested by the experiment; moreover, its slope at the long-wavelength limit provides a good estimate of the experimental sound velocity. We have also analyzed the dynamical processes behind the S(q,omega) in terms of a model including a relaxation mechanism with both fast and slow characteristic time scales.

On the behavior of single-particle dynamic properties of liquid Hg and other metals

Recent experiments and classical molecular dynamics simulations performed on liquid Hg near melting have suggested the existence of two processes with different time scales in its single-particle dynamics. We report a study of this system by using ab initio molecular dynamics simulations, which recover the same kind of behavior, and we analyze it in terms of a theoretical approach, which clarifies its origin. We show that the previous interpretation has been induced by the unphysical extension of the diffusive model to short times. Moreover, we also find that quite different liquid metals, such as Si and Mg, also exhibit a similar behavior as Hg, with the only difference being in the time scales involved due to the different masses and interactions.