Improvement of Drug-Loading Properties of Hydroxyapatite Particles Using Triethylamine as a Capping Agent: A Novel Approach

Abstract

Particles that modify delivery characteristics are a focus of drug-loading research. Hydroxyapatite particles (HAPs) have excellent biocompatibility, shape controllability, and high adsorption, making them a potential candidate for drug-delivery carriers. However, there are still some defects in the current methods used to prepare HAPs. In order to avoid agglomeration and improve the drug-loading properties of HAPs, the present study provides a novel triethylamine (TEA)-capped coprecipitation template method to prepare HAPs at room temperature. In addition, pure water and anhydrous ethanol were used as solvents to investigate the capping effect of the small-molecule capping agent TEA during the synthesis of HAPs. The results showed that the HAPs prepared in the TEA ethanol system had a smaller particle size (150–250 nm), better dispersion and higher crystallinity. The results were significantly different from those of the conventional preparation methods without TEA. However, the hydroxyapatite crystal would agglomerate to a certain extent after being stored for a period of time, forming micro/nano-sized agglomerates of nanocrystals. FITR analysis and SEM observation showed that the capping effect of TEA promoted the formation of a smaller template and dispersed HAPs were quickly formed by dissolution and reprecipitation processes. The drug-loading experiments showed that the HAPs prepared in the TEA ethanol system had high drug-loading capacity (239.8 ± 13.4 mg·g⁻¹) as well as an improved drug-release profile demonstrated in the drug-release experiment. The larger specific surface area associated with the smaller particle size was beneficial to the adsorption of drugs. After drying at 60 °C, TEA was evaporated from the HAPs which agglomerated into larger micron particles with more drug encapsulated. Thus, the effect of a sustained release was achieved. In the present research, a novel approach was developed by using triethylamine as the capping agent to prepare micro/nano-sized agglomerates of HAP nanocrystals with improved drug loading, which is predicted to have potential application in drug delivery.