Utilization of functionalized silane coatings for enhanced mechanical properties of hydroxyapatite filler

Silane coupling agents are widely used as molecular bridges between inorganic minerals and organic materials to modify surface properties for diverse biomedical applications. In this study, we developed hydroxyapatite (HAp)-based scaffolds by fabricating the surface of HAp pellets with silane coupling agents containing methacrylate, amine, and carboxylic acid functional groups to improve their mechanical properties for use as biodegradable fillers in dental and bone regeneration applications. Surface coating with carboxylic acid-functionalized silane exhibited a substantially enhanced mechanical strength of up to 30MPa, which possibly resulted from the stable configuration of interfacial bonding via electrostatic attractive interaction in the a-planes of the HAp pellets. Furthermore, the functionalized silane-coated HAp scaffolds displayed excellent biocompatibility, which suggests that they could be utilized as bone filler composites for bone tissue engineering.