EUROPIUM DOPED HYDROXYAPATITE FOR APPLICATIONS IN ENVIRONMENTAL FIELD

Due to the extensive use of new technologies in agricultural and industrial field the soil and groundwater were severely polluted with elements that may pose a serious threat to the environment. For that purpose studies concerning new materials that can be successfully used for removal of heavy metals and other toxic elements from contaminated soil and water were conducted. The attention of the scientific studies were focused on the family of calcium phosphates, with a particular interest in hydroxyapatite (HAp), with general formula Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2, due to the exquisite ability of adsorbing heavy element ions in aqueous conditions. This study focuses on synthesizing nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite powders with controllable parameters and very good stoechiometry. The structure, morphology and optical properties were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR).