![]() ![]() Yates and his team discovered unexpectedly that the resultant film retained a stored electrical charge, with one side of the film being positively charged, and the other negative. During the electrochemical synthesis, two electrodes are placed in a special salt solution and the application of electrical current causes a thin film of hydroxyapatite to grow on the surface of one of the electrodes. One of the techniques the research team used to make thin films is an electrochemical synthesis. Starting seven years ago with a quest to improve fuel cell membranes, Yates and his team began investigating the ion movement in hydroxyapatite and engineering thin films of hydroxyapatite with improved ion transport. It was known that when hydroxyapatite is heated to 300 degrees centigrade or more, ions can start moving around inside the hydroxyapatite crystals, Yates noted. The mineral component of our teeth and bones is a material called hydroxyapatite, and it may be synthesized in the laboratory using a variety of techniques. “Of all the projects I’ve worked on, I think this one has the great potential for commercialization.” Yates said. The film could be used for a host of applications, with faster bone healing at the head of the list. The mineral that is in our bones and teeth can store a surprisingly large electrical charge when it is electrochemically synthesized as a thin film, according to a paper published by a team of researchers led by Matthew Yates, Professor and Chair of Chemical Engineering, The arrow indicates the direction of the resulting dipole.) (c) As the HA grows, a composition gradient develops, with the surface becoming relatively more rich in negatively charged phosphate and hydroxyl groups. (b) Calcium rich HA nucleating onto the cathode. (Illustration of the development of giant electrical polarization in hydroxyapatite (HA) during electrochemical synthesis.
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