Role of citrate in the formation of enamel-like calcium phosphate oriented nanorod arrays

The formation of oriented enamel-like fluoride doped hydroxyapatite (HA) nanorods on amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) substrates in their bare form and containing citrate is compared. It is found that the presence of citrate delays the conversion into unoriented HA that in turn affects the overgrowth of nanorods as well as their shape and surface features. With citrate being an important component of bones and teeth, this study is highly relevant to attain new insights into the biomineralization processes and to widen the range of strategies for the design of advanced biomaterials.