ABSTRACT
Apatite nanocrystals constitute the inorganic part of mammalian hard tissues and an increasing interest in the preparation of synthetic equivalents able to precisely mimic the morphological and physical-chemical features of biological apatite is emerging. These compounds exhibit many differences in comparison to stoichiometric hydroyapatite ceramics, such as non-stoichiometric composition, nanometric size, plate-shape morphology and hydrate layer on the crystal surface. This chapter is intended to give the reader an overview on the occurrence of apatites in human tissues, their peculiar physical-chemical and biological properties, the main synthetic strategies and their applications in bone tissue regeneration and in nanomedicine.
