The ions in body fluid play an important role in bone formation besides being a synthesizing material. Transition metal ions Co(2+), Ni(2+), Zn(2+), Fe(3+), Mn(2+), Cu(2+), Cd(2+) and Hg(2+) doped hydroxyapatite (HAP)/collagen composites were synthesized successfully in the presence of collagen traces at mild acidic pH for the first time. However, the amount of doped Hg(2+) and Cd(2+) was relatively low. Meanwhile, through soaking the collagen sponge as a template in simulated body fluid (SBF) which contains different transition metal ions (Mn(2+), Cu(2+), Ni(2+), Co(2+), Cd(2+), Hg(2+)), bone-like HAP/collagen composites were synthesized. Hg(2+) had a certain inhibitory effect on the formation of HAP crystals on the surface of the collagen sponge while Co(2+) can promote the formation of HAP on the collagen sponge. For both HAP/collagen composites and HAP/collagen sponge, it was found that transition metal ions Mn(2+) had a significant effect on the morphology of HAP particles and could induce to form floc-like HAP particle aggregates.
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