Apatite nano-rods array grown on glass substrates in aqueous systems

Fabrication of an assembly of nm-sized rods or wires of hydroxyapatite (HAp) would mimic the structure of dentin or enamel when they are tailored to align each other along a specific crystallographic axis. This study proposed new strategy for self-assembling one-dimensional HAp nano-rods with an organized superstructure. We prepared a nm-scale rod array of HAp having preferred orientation to the c-axis simply by soaking calcium-containing silicate glass substrates in aqueous Na₂HPO₄ solutions at 80°C for various periods, as inspired by the glass-apatite conversion procedure. Those HAp rods grew up perpendicularly to the glass surface, and the crystallites covered the glass entire surface uniformly, resulting in "dental enamel-like" rod array structure.