Electrochemical synthesis was employed to prepare a novel hydroxyapatite/graphene (HAP/
Gr) composite powder suitable for medical applications as a hard tissue implant (scaffold).
The synthesis was performed in a homogeneous dispersion containing Na2H2EDTA·2H2O,
NaH2PO4 and CaCl2 with a Ca/EDTA/PO4
3− concentration ratio of 0.25/0.25/0.15M, along
with 0.01 wt% added graphene nanosheets, at a current density of 137 mA cm−2 and pH value
of 9.0. The field emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy
observations of the composite HAP/Gr powder indicated that nanosized hydroxyapatite
particles were uniformly placed in the graphene overlay. Raman spectroscopy, Fourier
transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction confirmed graphene incorporation in
the HAP/Gr powder. The electrochemically prepared HAP/Gr composite powder exhibited
slight antibacterial effect against the growth of the bacterial strain Staphylococcus aureus.