Biocompatible composite of cellulose nanocrystal and hydroxyapatite with large mechanical strength

Exploring the simple fabrication process to prepare CNC@HAp for biological tissues is still a challenging subject considering the wide applications of the composites for bio tissues. In this work, aiming for the fabrication of CNC@HAp composites via a simple and environment-friendly process and materials, we propose the neutralization titration in the presence of CNCs in the suspension. Core–shell structured composite of cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) and hydroxyapatite (HAp) (CNC@HAp) was successfully synthesized via simple aqueous neutralization titration. The method studied successfully hybridizes CNCs with a certain amount of HAps and easily controls the coating amounts of HAps from 9 wt% to 17 wt%. In particular, CNC@HAp pellets were easily prepared by simple compression molding from the powder of hybridized CNCs and HAps and the pellets showed high mechanical strength of over 500 N with a low strain of less than 5%. Both the process and the product of the study were environmental-friendly, no toxicity, simple and pure therefore the CNC@HAp can be easily applied to tissue engineering and medical purposes.