X-ray Diffraction（XRD）for Hydroxyapatite

Dear Colleagues,

Recent decades have seen significant progress in the science of biomaterials. Hydroxyapatite deserves special attention as it is an analogue of biogenic apatite, the main inorganic component of bone tissue. Synthetic hydroxyapatite is widely applied in medicine as a material for printing implants, a carrier for drug delivery and an anticancer/imaging agent, as a basis of cements or composites, and is used in the form of nanoparticles, powders, and ceramics.

In addition to being an indispensable material for medicine, hydroxyapatite has many other applications; it is a catalyst or catalyst support for various organic reactions and an effective sorbent for water, soil, and air purification. Hydroxyapatite is ready to form various kinds of substitutions, which makes it possible to obtain new properties, for example, antibacterial, antitumor, conductive, or magnetic properties. A wide range of useful properties of hydroxyapatite indicate the great potential of this material and stimulate further research activity.

The main method for monitoring the composition and structure of materials is X-ray diffraction. Using this method, it is possible to simultaneously control both the phase purity of the material and the structural changes; determine the degree of crystallinity, crystallite size, and lattice parameters; carry out the crystal structure refinement; investigate phase transitions under heating; analyze the thermal stability; and calculate the coefficient of thermal expansion of the material.

This Special Issue is dedicated to recent advances in the studies of hydroxyapatite by X-ray diffraction.

For this Special Issue, we invite authors to contribute research articles or reviews on the above-mentioned topics.

Dr. Natalia V. Bulina
Dr. Margarita A. Goldberg
Guest Editors

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