Yesim Muge Sahin

Preparation and evaluation of cerium oxide-bovine hydroxyapatite composites for biomedical engineering applications

The fabrication and characterization of bovine hydroxyapatite (BHA) and cerium oxide (CeO2) composites are presented. CeO2 (at varying concentrations 1, 5 and 10wt%) were added to calcinated BHA powder. The resulting mixtures were shaped into green cylindrical samples by powder pressing (350MPa) followed by sintering in air (1000-1300°C for 4h). Density, Vickers microhardness (HV), compression strength, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies were performed on the products. The sintering behavior, microstructural characteristics and mechanical properties were evaluated. Differences in the sintering temperature (for 1wt% CeO2 composites) between 1200 and 1300°C, show a 3.3% increase in the microhardness (564 and 582.75HV, respectively). Composites prepared at 1300°C demonstrate the greatest compression strength with comparable results for 5 and 10wt% CeO2 content (106 and 107MPa) which are significantly better than those for 1wt% and those that do not include any CeO2 (90 and below 60MPa, respectively). The results obtained suggest optimal parameters to be used in preparation of BHA and CeO2 composites, while also highlighting the potential of such materials in several biomedical engineering applications.

A new method for fabrication of nanohydroxyapatite and TCP from the sea snail cerithium vulgatum

Biphasic bioceramic nanopowders of hydroxyapatite (HA) and β-tricalcium phosphate (TCP) were prepared from shells of the sea snail Cerithium vulgatum (Bruguiere, 1792) using a novel chemical method. Calcination of the powders produced was carried out at varying temperatures, specifically at 400°C and 800°C, in air for 4 hours. When compared to the conventional hydrothermal transformation method, this chemical method is very simple, economic, due to the fact that it needs inexpensive and safe equipment, because the transformation of the aragonite and calcite of the shells into the calcium phosphate phases takes place at 80°C under the atmospheric pressure. The powders produced were determined using infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The features of the powders produced along with the fact of their biological origin qualify these powders for further consideration and experimentation to fabricate nanoceramic biomaterials.

Nano Calcium Phosphate Powder Production through Chemical Agitation from Atlantic Deer Cowrie Shells (Cypraea cervus Linnaeus)

The process is a simple chemical method and aims to produce nano-structured calcium phosphate powders from natural sources, for biomedical applications. For this purpose, Atlantic Deer Cowrie (ADC) shells (Cypraea cervus Linnaeus, 1771) were collected from a local gift store in Istanbul. The empty shells were cleaned and crushed then were ball milled and sieved under 100µm. The raw powders were suspended on a hotplate stirrer for a simple chemical agitation. The temperature was kept at 80°C for 15 min. and then appropriate amount of H3PO4 was added by titration into the prepared solution to form calcium phosphate precursors. The solution was stirred on a hotplate for 8 hours then dried at 100°C for 24 hours. Afterwards the resulting dried sediments were collected and heat treated between 400-800°C for 4 hours, dependent on the required specific calcium phosphate phase. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were carried out for identifying various hydroxyapatite (HA), tricalcium phosphate (TCP) and other calcium phosphate phases. Various particle sizes ranging from nano to micron, are obtained depending on the chemistry used and the processing technique applied during the production. A range of calcium phosphate phases can be obtained from ADC shells, by using a simple and economic conversion method. Proper cleaning methods developed and appropriate preparation techniques will enable us to use these nano calcium phosphate powders in orthopedic and dental applications.

Nanostructured biomaterials with antimicrobial properties.

The present review is intended to bring together the main advances in the field of nanostructured biomaterials with antimicrobial properties. It is generally accepted that the discovery of antibiotics was of great importance but, nowadays new antimicrobial agents are needed and/or their better administration routes. The limitation of the use of antibiotics is essential because of the following reasons: the excessive use of antibiotics leads to the development of antibiotic resistant microorganisms; there are some alternatives for many types of infections, many of these alternatives being less toxic and do not lead to antibiotic similar resistance. In compliance with the above presented, the use of antibiotic is recommended to be eliminated (when alternatives are available) or to be reduced by using combined therapy when possible or to administrate these drugs through targeted or loco-regional drug delivery systems.

MAGNETIC CORE SHELL STRUCTURES: from 0D to 1D assembling

Material research and development studies are focused on different techniques of bringing out nanomaterials with desired characteristics and properties. From the point of view of materials development, nowadays scientists are strongly focused on obtaining materials with predefined characteristics and properties. The morphology control seems to be a determinant factor and increasing attention is devoted to this aspect. At this moment it is possible to engineer the materials features by using different methods and materials combination for both medical and industrial applications. In the applications of chemistry and synthesis, biology, mechanics, optics solar cells and microelectronics tailoring the adjustable parameters of stoichiometry, chemical structure, shape and segregation are evaluated and opens new fields. Because of the magnetic features of nanoparticles and durable particle size, less than 100 nm, this study is aiming to describe their uses in practical applications. Thats why the whole hydrodynamic magnetic core shell topic will be reviewed on this paper. Additionally, the properties acting in general sight in solid-state physics are utilized for material selection and for defining issue connecting the core, shell structure and their producing properties. Here, in the study of core/shell nanoparticle various physical and chemical synthesis routes and the effect of electrospun method are briefly discussed. Starting from a real void of the scientific literature, the existent data related to the 1D magnetic electrospun materials are reviewed. The perspectives in the medical, environmental or energetic sector is great and bring some real advantages related to the 0D core@shell structures because both mechanical and biological properties are dependent on the morphology of the materials.

Bioceramic Production from Giant Purple Barnacle (Megabalanus tintinnabulum)

In this study the structural and chemical properties of barnacle shell based bioceramic materials (i.e. hydroxyapatite, whitlockite, monetite and other phases) were produced by using mechano-chemical (hot-plate) conversion method. Cleaned barnacle shells were ball milled down to <75µm in diameter. Differential thermal and gravimetric analyses (DTA/TGA) were performed to determine the exact CaCO3 content. Sample batches of 2g were prepared from the fine powders produced. For each batch, the required volume of an aqueous H3PO4 solution was calculated in order to set the stoichiometric molar ratio of Ca/P equal to 1.5 for ß-tricalcium phosphate (ß-TCP) or to 1.667 for hydroxyapatite (HA). The temperature was set to 80°C for 15 minutes to complete the process. After the titration of the equivalent amount of H3PO4 into the prepared solution, agitation was carried out on a hot-plate (i.e. mechano-chemical processing) for 8 hours. The sediments formed were dried and the resulting TCP and HA powders were calcined at 400°C and 800°C respectively. For complete characterization of the bioceramics produced, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and x-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses were carried out. The current study proposes a simple, economic and time efficient method for nano-bioceramic production.

Novel Bioceramic Production via Mechanochemical Conversion from Plate Limpet (Tectura scutum) - Shells

Calcium phosphates are very important biomaterials for orthopaedic and dental applications. Hydroxyapatite (HA) is one of the important phases used for grafting. Those are produced from synthetic and natural sources with various methods. Especially nano-bioceramics can be produced through calcitic and aragonitic structures (i.e. mussel shells, sea snail shells, land snail shells and sea urchin shells). The plate limpet shells were used. The plate limpet is a gastropod, a soft-bodied invertebrate (an animal without a backbone) that is protected by a very hard, flattened conical shell. In this study the Plate Limpet (Tectura scutum) shells were obtained from a local gift store in Istanbul. The habitation of these limpets broadens from south Alaska down to California - Mexico. First the exact CaCO3 content was measured with thermal analysis (DTA/TGA). Here in this study agitation was carried out on a hot-plate (i.e. mechano-chemical processing). First the temperature was set at 80 °C for 15 min. Then equivalent amount to CaO H3PO4 was added dropwise for HA phase formation and the reaction was set on a hotplate for 8 hours. The dried sediments HA part was divided into 2 groups. One group was sintered to 835 °C and second group to 855 °C. Here x-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope (SEM) studies were performed. From the study various HA phases and TCP phases were obtained. A previous study done with Atlantic Deer Cowrie encourages nanobioceramic production from natural sources. This study proposes that mechanochemical agitation with very simple way for producing nano-sized calcium phosphates for future bioengineering scaffold applications.

Can European Sea Bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) Scale Be a Good Candidate for Nano-Bioceramics Production?

Bioceramics are commonly used biomaterials for orthopedic and dental applications. Among these bioceramics, hydroxyapatite (HA) and tricalcium phosphate (TCP) are of interest and are used in various biomedical applications. Production of bioceramics from natural materials such as bovine and sheep bones with calcination method, is possible. Lately, fish scales become an alternative biological source for bioceramic production. The present study proposes an approach to obtain HA bone-scaffolds from European Sea Bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) scales aiming to provide nano-biomaterials via calcination method. Untreated fish scales are obtained and are carefully cleaned from their meat and grease. They are washed with alkaline water several times and calcinated at 850°C for 4 hours. Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction analysis, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) studies are performed. Various calcium phosphate species (HA, TCP) are identified in the study. SEM images prove the presence of the nano-scale structures. This study indicates calcination as a simple way of nano-scale bioceramic production for drug delivery and tissue engineering applications. Being produced from wastes of a sustainable and cheap source, these bioceramics can be good candidates for future clinical applications.

Synthesis and characterization of hydroxyapatite powders from eggshell for functional biomedical application

Apatitic phosphates are considered within the category of bioceramics. HA and its derives are used of in the fields of medicine, orthopedics and dentistry in order to support a grow up of new bone cells. HA structures have a high biocompability and are widely in biomedical applications. On the other hand, synthesis of HA structures necessitates complex technologies (microwave sintering, hydrothermal synthesis etc.) and their production costs high. This study aims the production of nano apatitic structures with great biocompability from a natural material. Simple hotplate method was used to obtain natural, nano scale HA from eggshells. After calcination and sintering processes at different temperatures, the obtained apatitic phosphate powders have been structurally characterized by infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Morphological investigation has been conducted by FEG-SEM images. Biological investigations have been carried out for the produced nanosized bioceramics and the results reveal that these nanomaterials are promising for tissue engineering purposes.

Nanotechnology in dentistry

Abstract Nanotechnology has tremendous potential to revolutionize dentistry as a whole and can also introduce significant benefits to human society by improving health and presenting better use of natural resources. Nanomaterials and nanoparticles are likely to be cornerstones of innovative nanodental applications. It is believed that nanodentistry will improve the human quality of life for the twenty-first century.