Nano-Apatites with Designed Chemistry and Crystallinity for Bone Regeneration and Nanomedical Applications

Apatite nanocrystals constitute the inorganic part of mammalian hard tissues and an increasing interest in the preparation of synthetic equivalents able to precisely mimic the morphological and physical-chemical features of biological apatite is emerging. These compounds exhibit many differences in comparison to stoichiometric hydroyapatite ceramics, such as non-stoichiometric composition, nanometric size, plate-shape morphology and hydrate layer on the crystal surface. This chapter is intended to give the reader an overview on the occurrence of apatites in human tissues, their peculiar physical-chemical and biological properties, the main synthetic strategies and their applications in bone tissue regeneration and in nanomedicine.