Synthesis and Structure Refinement of Zinc‐Doped β‐Tricalcium Phosphate Powders

Zinc substituted β‐tricalcium phosphate [β‐Ca 3 (PO 4 ) 2 ] was formed by substituting a zinc precursor in calcium‐deficient apatite through aqueous precipitation technique. Heat treatment at 1000°C led to the formation of well crystalline β‐Ca 3 (PO 4 ). Refinement technique was used to determine the influence of incorporated zinc in the β‐Ca 3 (PO 4 ) structure. The structural data for all the four different zinc substituted β‐Ca 3 (PO 4 ) ranging from 0–9 mol% of zinc investigated in the present study confirmed the rhombohedral structure of β‐Ca 3 (PO 4 ) in the hexagonal setting (space group R 3 c ). The incorporation of lower sized Zn 2+ (0.745 Å for sixfold coordination with O) at the higher sized Ca 2+ (1.00 Å for sixfold coordination with O) site in the β‐Ca 3 (PO 4 ) structure led to the contraction of unit cell parameters. The added zinc prefers to occupy the Ca(5) site of β‐Ca 3 (PO 4 ) structure.