Microwave-Assisted Fabrication of Poly (L-lactic acid)/ Hydroxyapatite Composites as Artificial Bone Materials

Hydroxyapatite (Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2; HAp) has been currently used in hard tissue engineering due to its excellent biocompatibility and osteoconductivity [1-3]. However, the brittleness and relatively low mechanical properties of HAp limit its usefulness in bone implants. Thus, much attention has been focused on the hybridization of HAp with suitable polymers in order to obtain high mechanical properties enough to match those of human bones [4,5]. Among them, composites of HAp and poly (L-lactic acid) (PLLA) or PLLA based copolymers have been extensively studied due to the favorable characteristics of PLLA [6]. Most of the reported PLLA/HAp composites were fabricated from hybridization of HAp with pre-synthesized PLLA using various catalysts such as organometallic compounds and lipases [7-10]. The toxicity of organometallic compounds and the poor reproducibility of lipase catalysts are also problems that hinder obtaining biomaterials desired for applications.