Nano-sized calcium-deficient apatitic (CDHA) crystals with Ca/P ratios from 1.5 to 1.67 were synthesized using wet chemical method and of needle-like shape with 5-10 nm in diameter and 40-50 nm in length was observed. The structural environment of the Ca atoms in all the CDHA nano-crystals has been investigated using EXAFS, XANES and EELS. The results reveal that a maximum Fourier transform amp...

In cardiac muscle, contraction is triggered by sarcolemmal depolarization, resulting in an intracellular Ca(2+) transient, binding of Ca(2+) to troponin, and subsequent cross-bridge formation (excitation-contraction [EC] coupling). Here, we develop a novel experimental system for simultaneous nano-imaging of intracellular Ca(2+) dynamics and single sarcomere length (SL) in rat neonatal cardiomy...

Calcium phosphate cements (CPCs) are the unique class of inorganic injectables attractive for the repair and regeneration of hard tissues. Tailoring the crystallite properties of CPC, particularly to represent nanotopological feature, is favorable for stimulating biological reactions. Nanotopological tailoring has recently been achieved on CPCs by simply modulating the sizes of the initial part...

This study aimed at preparing and studying the properties of nanoparticles of calcium phosphate (nCaP) with Ca/P ratios ranging from 1.0 to 1.67 using a spray-drying technique. Micro-structural analyses suggested that the nCaPs with Ca/P ratios of 1.67 to 1.33 were nano-sized amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) containing varying amounts of acid phosphate and carbonate. The nCaP with Ca/P ratio o...

The aim of the present study was to prepare nano-sized calcium fluoride (CaF2). Calcium fluoride nanoparticles were synthesized by CaCl2.6H2O and ammonium fluoride. Nanoparticles were synthesized by co-precipitation method. The synthesized nanocrystals were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electro...

The aim of the present study was to prepare nano-sized calcium fluoride (CaF2). Calcium fluoride nanoparticles were synthesized by CaCl2.6H2O and ammonium fluoride. Nanoparticles were synthesized by co-precipitation method. The synthesized nanocrystals were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electro...

Gels of calcium-silicate-hydrates (C-S-H) are the glue that is largely responsible for the mechanical properties of cement. Despite their practical relevance, their nano-scale structure and mechanics are still mainly unexplored, because of the difficulties in characterizing them in a complex material like cement. We propose a colloidal model to investigate the gel mechanics emerging in the crit...