Synthetic nano-sized crystalline calcium phosphate and method of production

A method of producing a powder or coating of nano-sized crystalline calcium phosphate comprising the steps of

• a) providing a solution of water and stoichiometric solved amounts of a phosphor precursor and of a calcium salt precursor,
• b) adding a surfactant, and optionally a hydrophobic organic solvent, to the solution of a) to create a liquid crystalline phase,
• c) allowing the liquid crystalline phase to equilibrate, and
• d) placing the equilibrated liquid crystalline phase in an ammonia atmosphere to raise the pH so that nano-sized crystals of calcium phosphate are formed in the water domains of the liquid crystalline phase, the steps a)-d) being performed at ambient temperature, followed by either
• e1) removing the surfactant from the ammonia-treated liquid crystalline phase of d) with a solvent and
• f1) filtering, washing and drying the nano-sized crystals of calcium phosphate to obtain the powder, or
• e2) diluting the ammonia-treated liquid crystalline phase of d) with a hydrophobic organic solvent to create a microemulsion of the nano-sized crystals of calcium phosphate in water,
• f2) dipping an oxide layer-coated surface of an object into the microemulsion of e2) to deposit the microemulsion onto the surface,
• g2) evaporating the organic solvent from the surface of f2) to obtain the coating of nano-sized crystalline calcium phosphate, and
• h2) heating under inert atmosphere in order to remove the surfactant, or alternatively omitting step d) and
• e3) diluting the liquid crystalline phase of c) with a hydrophobic organic solvent to create a microemulsion,
• f3) dipping an oxide layer-coated surface of an object into the microemulsion of e3) to deposit the microemulsion onto the surface,
• g3) evaporating the organic solvent from the surface of f3) to form a liquid crystalline phase, and
• h3) placing the surface of g3) in an ammonia atmosphere to raise the pH so that nano-sized crystals of calcium phosphate are formed in the water domains of the liquid crystalline phase and are deposited on the surface, followed by
• i2) heating under inert atmosphere in order to remove the surfactant.