RF Induction Plasma Synthesized Calcium Phosphate Nanoparticles

It was a normal phenomena that hydroxyapatite (HA) decomposes into tricalcium phosphate (TCP), tetracalcium phosphate (TTCP), calcium oxide (CaO) and amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) during the plasma processing step. The present study characterized the phase evolution of calcium phosphates (CaPs) in the nanoparticles synthesized using a radio frequency (RF) induction plasma processing technique. The morphology and microstructure of the CaP nanoparticles were investigated by XRD, SEM, TEM, Raman spectroscopy, FTIR spectroscopy and thermal analysis. It was found that ACP, α-TCP, TTCP and CaO were the main decomposed phases in the nanoparticle. After heat treatment at dicalcium pyrophosphate (β-Ca2P2O7) due to the extreme decomposition of the starting HA during the RF plasma processing step which rapidly solidified into amorphous phase.