Heterogeneous fluoridated apatites synthesized with a three-step fluoride supply system.

Two types of heterogeneous fluoridated apatite, H-F-H and F-H-F, were synthesized by supplying fluoride during the middle half (H-F-H) or initial and final quarters (F-H-F) of the experimental period. Although X-ray diffraction patterns and SEM photographs of both H-F-H and F-H-F-type apatites were not significantly different, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy showed quite different features; H-F-H-type apatite crystals were elongated hexagons, while those of F-H-F-type apatite were rather wider hexagons with electron damage in three-quarters of the inner core. These results supported the previous speculations on the two different types of heterogeneous fluoridated hydroxyapatites synthesized with fluoride concentrations stoichiometrically equivalent to that of fluorapatite: hydroxyapatite covered with fluorapatite and fluorapatite covered with hydroxyapatite. F-H-F-type apatite was less soluble than that of H-F-H-type apatite.