Monetite (Dcpa), an Important Calcium Phosphate Compound - its Structure, Processing, and Applications

Abstract

Monetite (Dibasic calcium phosphate anhydrate, DCPA, CaHPO 4 ) belongs to the sub-category of dibasic calcium phosphates in the diverse calcium phosphate system with its tremendous applications in orthopedics and other biomedical fields. Over the past fifteen years, the research on monetite has increasingly revealed its useful properties. Yet, in comparison to its vastly popular counterparts, hydroxyapatite (HA) and tricalcium phosphates (TCPs), monetite has not gained the attention it deserves. The motivation behind this paper is to provide a comprehensive review of the state-of-the-art of research and development on monetite. After a brief introduction, the paper follows the typical materials science correlations on “Structure-Property-Processing” and relating those aspects to research translation. Indeed, the last few years witnessed increasing numbers of studies on applications of monetite in the form of granules, 3-D printed scaffolds, cements, composites, and coatings with promising outcomes in both in vitro and in vivo studies. The paper concludes with a summary and potential future research directions and its translation. It is hoped that this timely review will present a comprehensive landscape of research on monetite and will enable and entice researchers and engineers across the globe into this important calcium phosphate.