Preparation and characterization of biomimetic materials, by synthesis and templating in structured liquids

Abstract

The following work has focused on the study, preparation and characterization of macroporous solid foams of hydroxyapatite, Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2, and collagen and gelatin hydrogels, of proteinaceous nature. The importance of these two types of materials, one inorganic and the other organic, lies in their possible combination to recreate both, features and functions, of bone tissue and, therefore, in their promising potential biomedical applications as a tissue replacement or regenerator. A major application could be its use for creating next generation prostheses which replace the current ones, usually made of stainless steel and/or titanium. From the results obtained, it is confirmed the possibility of obtaining hydroxyapatite with high porosity and interconnectivity and low density using highly concentrated emulsions, following the sol-gel and EISA methodologies. In the protein hydrogels prepared by the addition of cross-linker before gelation method (mixing cross-linking method), a highly elastic gel was obtained. After freeze-drying, macroporous texture was observed. Thereby, such gels appear suitable for their combination with solid foams of hydroxyapatite, forming a bone-like composite or hybrid material.