Transparent nanoceramics for monitoring living tissues developed by UNN scientists
Chemists from Lobachevsky University have obtained transparent ceramics based on calcium fluorapatite, a promising material for biomedicine and laser technology. The material was fabricated by vacuum hot-pressing method using the equipment made at UNN. The method is technologicallyefficient and cost-effective, so it offers broad opportunities for scaling the technology and introducing the material into production.
Due to the high transparency of calcium fluorapatite optical ceramics in the visible and infrared ranges, the material can be used for creating implantable bioactive "windows". Through such implants, one can monitor tissue regeneration processes in vivo for a long time without surgical intervention.
"Fluorapatite is an analogue of bone tissue, so it interacts well with the body's cells. Our partners from the Privolzhsky Research Medical University conducted cellular experiments that confirmed the biocompatibility of our transparent ceramics. Besides, tests on fibroblasts, human skin cells, showed that they actively attach to the ceramic surface and maintain high viability. This demonstrates the material's potential for integration with soft tissues," explained Marsel Nazmutdinov, the author of the study and a researcher at the Laboratory for Optical Ceramic Materials at the UNN Faculty of Chemistry.
The development of implantable optical windows has also been a focus for foreign researchers in recent years. Most often, they use zirconium dioxide as the base material. The material developed by Nizhny Novgorod scientists surpasses known foreign analogues by providing better integration with living tissues.
"The second area of our work concerns the development of transparent ceramics based on fluorapatites for optics and photonics. By keeping the average grain size in ceramics at less than 150 nanometers, we have achieved a record level of transmittance. Transparent fluorapatite ceramics doped with rare-earth metal ions, such as ytterbium, can be an excellent alternative to expensive single crystals for creating compact and powerful pulsed lasers,"added Marsel Nazmutdinov.
Developing innovative materials for laser media and biophotonics is among the key objectives of Lobachevsky University’s Laboratory for Optical Ceramic Materials. The study of transparent apatites began in 2023 with the support of the federal Priority 2030 programme.
"Our scientists’ research opens new perspectives for medicine and photonics in Russia. This success highlights our university’s high innovative potential and our readiness to tackle complex tasks of national importance, contributing to the strengthening of Russia's technological sovereignty," noted UNN Rector Oleg Trofimov.
The study ofthe conditions for producing optical ceramics of calcium fluorapatite was carried out as part of a state assignment from the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation. The findings of this research were published in the journal Ceramics International in 2026.
