Calcium phosphate-based materials of natural origin showing photocatalytic activity

• Published in: Journal of Materials Chemistry A
• Main Authors: Piccirillo C., Dunnill C. W., Pullar R. C., Tobaldi D. M., Labrincha J. A., Parkin I. P., Pintado M. M., Castro P. M. L.
• Other Authors: Piccirillo, C., Dunnill, C. W., Pullar, R. C., Tobaldi, D. M., Labrincha, J. A., Parkin, I. P., Pintado, M. M., Castro, P. M. L.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2013
• Subjects: Settore ING-IND/22 - Scienza e Tecnologia dei Materiali; Settore CHIM/03 - Chimica Generale e Inorganica; Settore CHIM/07 - Fondamenti Chimici delle Tecnologie; atlantic cod
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10278/3740089; https://doi.org/10.1039/c3ta10673j

Calcium phosphate based materials of natural origin with photocatalytic properties were produced. Bones of Atlantic cod fish were treated in appropriate solutions (either Ca- or Ti-containing salts) and successively annealed. Results showed multiphasic materials (hydroxyapatite, β-tricalcium phosphate and anatase titania) with excellent photocatalytic performance under both UV and visible light, with an anatase concentration of only about 2 mol%. Results with such a low amount of anatase have never been reported before for a calcium phosphate-based material; this is attributed to the presence of anatase being mainly on the surface. Single-phase hydroxyapatite (Ca 10(PO4)6(OH)2 or HAp) also showed some photocatalytic properties and antibacterial activity. © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2013.