Prediction of Sodium Substitution Sites in Octacalcium Phosphate: The Relationships of Ionic Pair Ratios in Reacting Solutions

Abstract

Octacalcium phosphate (OCP) is widely used in biomaterial fabrication by virtue of its unique crystal structure and low environmental loading. Although various ion and molecule substitution methods into the OCP unit lattice have been introduced, it remains unclear which factors and mechanisms dominate the substitution process. Experimental studies have indicated that Na alkali metal ions are substituted at the P3 PO4 conjugated site in acidic to weakly acidic conditions and the P5 PO4 conjugated site in neutral to weak basic conditions. Ionic species calculation methods have indicated that the pair ratios of Na and HPO42− (NaHPO4−) are small in acidic reacting solutions but large under weakly basic conditions. Consequently, the roles played by NaHPO4− and ionic pair formation processes are thought to dominate ion and molecule substitution into the OCP unit lattice. Such ionic pair formation strongly inhibits dicarboxylic acid substitution into the OCP unit lattice due to the replacement of the Ca ion, which conjugates P5 PO4 as an anchor of dicarboxylic acid.