Preparation and characterization of hydroxyapatite/chitosan–gelatin network composite

Abstract

A novel composite composed of hydroxyapatite (HA) and a network formed via cocrosslinking of chitosan and gelatin with glutaraldehyde was developed. Two preparation methods are described in detail. A porous material, with similar organic–inorganic constituents to that of natural bone, was made by a unique sol–gel method. The formation of the network in the presence of HA was characterized using IR analysis. The morphology of the composites was also examined using SEM. In addition, XRD was applied to estimate the change in the component crystal. The results indicate that the presence of HA does not retard the formation of the chitosan/gelatin network. On the other hand, the polymer matrix has hardly any influence on the high crystallinity of HA. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 77: 2929–2938, 2000