FABRICATION OF LITHIUM-DOPED BIOLOGICAL-DERIVED HYDROXYAPATITE AND ZOLEDRONIC ACID BI-LAYERED STRUCTURES FOR IMPLANTOLOGY

In this study, lithium-doped biological-derived hydroxyapatite (BioHA:LiP) and BioHA:LiP functionalised with zoledronic acid (BioHA:LiP_ZA) structures were successfully fabricated using both pulsed laser deposition (PLD) and matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE) techniques. The structural, morphological, compositional, and biological properties of the deposited layers were investigated to evaluate their potential in implantology. AX-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed the preservation of the HA phase and the successful incorporation of ZA into the coatings. Morphological assessments via scanning electron microscopy revealed compact granular morphologies characterised by tightly packed nanoscale particles forming a continuous film. At the same time, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy validated the compositional integrity of the structures. Biological assays demonstrated the absence of cytotoxicity for all tested materials. Moreover, ZA doping was demonstrated to improve the adhesion and spreading of osteogenic progenitor stem cells. These findings suggest that ZA-functionalized BioHA:LiP coatings may exhibit promising characteristics for implant surface modifications and bone regeneration, supporting their further development for biomedical applications.