AbstractIntrafibrillar mineralization of type-I collagen with hydroxyapatite (HA) is the basis of the complex biological composite known as bone, which from a material science perspective is a fascinating example of an interpenetrating bioceramic composite. Using a polymer-induced liquid-precursor (PILP) process, collagen substrates were highly infiltrated with a liquid-phase mineral precursor to calcium carbonate (CaCO3). At sections of partially mineralized collagen, banded mineral patterns were observed perpendicular to the collagen fibrils, while other fibrils were completely mineralized. An acid etch, used to preferentially remove superficial mineral, further revealed such banded patterns in fully mineralized samples. Removal of the collagen matrix with a dilute hypochlorite solution showed an interpenetrating mineral phase, with mineral disks that spanned the diameter of the pre-existing collagen fibrils, supporting our hypothesis that intrafibrillar mineralization can be achieved via capillary action applied to a liquid-phase mineral precursor.
Molecular mechanics of mineralized collagen fibrils in bone
