A. Cuneyt Tas           Photo

PhD in Materials Science & Engineering, Iowa State University, USA, May 1993

 

E-mail: c_tas@hotmail.com       

Phone: +1 (979) 633-8064 (Cell phone, USA)                    

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* Accomplishments                                           

* Journal and Book Cover Images  (download photos: 1 & 2)

1. February 2005 / Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Medicine

2. December 2004 / Journal of The American Ceramic Society

3. “Dielectric Ceramic Materials,” Ceramic Transactions, Vol. 100, The American Ceramic Society, 1999

* Award Certificates:   links:  1  2  3    @ Clemson University (South Carolina, USA)

* Faculty Awards:   links: 1  2  3         @ METU (Middle East Technical University, Turkey)

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* International Journal Papers                  

* Patents             

* Chapters in Proceeding Books         

* International Symposium Talks & Presentations                 * National Symposium Talks & Presentations         

* Supervised Graduate Theses                    * Powder X-ray Diffraction Patterns  * Phase Diagrams       * Research Interests          

* Work Experience

* Awards & Research Funds

* Professional Memberships                

* Teaching

* Service

* Education

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Research Highlights

+ Produced (at room temperature or 37°C) millimeter-size

granules of brushite (DCPD, CaHPO4×2H2O) and octacalcium phosphate (OCP, Ca8(HPO4)2(PO4)4×5H2O) by starting with marble (CaCO3)

 

+ Synthesized octacalcium phosphate (OCP, Ca8(HPO4)2(PO4)4×5H2O) in “new biomineralization solutions”

 

+ Developed an interesting technology:

step-1) synthesize struvite (MgNH4PO4×6H2O) powder at RT,

step-2) heat it at 100°C in air to make it x-ray amorphous,

step-3) soak it in ammonium phosphate-containing aqueous solution at RT to regenerate crystalline struvite

 

+ Suggested a cell culture solution (i.e., DMEM, Dulbecco’s Modified Eagle Medium, “Cat. No. 21063-029, with HEPES buffer, no phenol red, Invitrogen”) as an alternative to SBF (Synthetic/Simulated Body Fluid) solutions to test the “so-called” in vitro bioactivity of synthetic biomaterials

 

+ How to use DMEM instead of SBF solutions to test the aqueous calcification potential of synthetic materials (i.e., ceramics, glasses, metals and polymers)?

 

+ Biomimetic procedure for transforming brushite (DCPD, CaHPO4×2H2O) into octacalcium phosphate (OCP, Ca8(HPO4)2(PO4)4×5H2O) in DMEM cell culture solutions at 36.5°C

 

+ How to prepare a Na-lactate and lactic acid-buffered (i.e., Tris or Hepes-free) new physiological solution to be used for in vitro calcification experiments or in biomimetic materials synthesis?

 

+ How to prepare and use a Tris-buffered SBF solution which perfectly mimic the bicarbonate ion concentration (i.e., 27 mM) of human blood plasma?

 

+ Produced high thermal stability hydroxyapatite powders that will not decompose into b-TCP upon heating above 1400°C

 

+ Produced CaCO3 (Vaterite) biconvex micropills or microtablets               Biconvex Micropills of CaCO3     CaCO3 micropills

 

+ Suggested a robust method to incorporate ppm level ions into biomaterials

 

+ Produced monodisperse, non-agglomerated whiskers of hydroxyapatite

 

+ Suggested a practical remedy to the problem of “crack formation” in biomimetic coatings (i.e., via synthetic body fluid, SBF) of implants

 

+ Produced single-phase, well-crystallized b-TCP nanoparticles at temperatures less than 250°C

 

+ Produced micro- and macro-porous, carbonated Calcibon® Granules for hard tissue repair  ®  Patent  &  Its Article

 

+ Developed porous and carbonated calcium phosphate Granules   (“Calcibon® Granules” in clinical use in Europe)

 

+ World’s first DCPA (Dicalcium phosphate anhydrous = Monetite = CaHPO4) cement for orthopedic and dental applications

 

+ Rhenanite-apatitic calcium phosphate (NaCaPO4 - Ap-CaP) nanocomposites

 

+ Biomimetic synthesis of high surface area, ionically doped (substituted) Bone-like Calcium Phosphate nano-materials in (Tas-SBF) Synthetic Body Fluids at 37°C and pH 7.4

 

+ Biomimetic coating of titanium foams for clinical applications and osteoblast proliferation

 

+ 10xSBF solution for the rapid coating of metals, ceramics or polymers at room temperature

 

+ Enzyme Urease-containing Urea-SBF media for biomaterials synthesis (pH stabilized at 7.4, 37°C)

 

+ Comparison of different SBF solutions and bone cell response on different coatings

 

+ Novel technique to synthesize nanorods of apatitic calcium phosphates (Ap-CaP) from CaP powders: “H2O2 solutions at 90°C”

 

+ Zn-doped apatitic calcium phosphates for skeletal repair and in vitro cell culture tests

 

+ Self-setting, injectable orthopaedic cement development (see link 1,  link 2,  link 3)

 

+ Nanorods of non-toxic calcium phosphates ® Osteoblast Proliferation

 

+ Brushite (CaHPO4.2H2O) coating (via aqueous solutions) of titanium scaffolds at RT

 

+ Na- and K-doped Brushite and its biomimetic conversion to nanoapatites

 

+ Synthesis of tetracalcium phosphate TTCP (Ca4(PO4)2O) at 1230°C

 

+ Porous Bioceramics and Scaffolds

 

+ CaHPO4 (monetite)-CaSO4 composite cements for skeletal repair

 

+ Calcite (CaCO3)-based Macroporous Calcium Phosphate Cements for bone repair

 

+ Mn-doped ZnGa2O4 (zinc gallate) phosphor Nanopowders

 

+ GaO(OH) submicron zeppelins/spindles

 

+ Synthesis of solid electrolyte / Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) ceramics (see link 1,  link 2, link 3)

 

+ New low-temperature method to synthesize all the binary compounds of the CaO-Al2O3 system

 

+ Hydrothermal synthesis of Dysprosium-doped BaTiO3

 

+ Novel wet-chemical methods to synthesize CaZrO3, PbZrO3, LaAlO3, and Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3

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Line of Research

*  Biomimetic Coating of Carbonated Apatitic Calcium Phosphates on Metallic, Ceramic and Polymeric Surfaces

*  Biomimetic Synthesis of Calcium Phosphate-based Biomaterials for Hard Tissue Regeneration

*  The Significance of High Surface Area and High Surface Reactivity: Phase Equilibria at the Nanoscale

*  Calcium Phosphate-Biopolymer (Collagen, Gelatin, Chitin, Cellulose, Glycans, etc.) Nanocomposites as Bone Substitutes and Periodontal Implants

*  Resorbable Calcium Phosphate Cements for Skeletal Repair

*  Inorganic Powder and Whisker/Nanorod Synthesis by Wet-chemical Techniques

*  In Vitro & In Vivo Testing and Evaluation of Biomaterials

*  Response of Biomaterials to the Chosen Conditions/Parameters of In Vitro & In Vivo Testing Media

*  Synthesis of Macro- and/or Micro-Porous Materials

*  CaCO3 and its use in bone-substitute materials

*  Crystal Chemistry & Rietveld Analysis / Structural Determination by Diffraction Methods

*  Dahllite: Ca3(PO4)2·CaCO3

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*  A milestone paper by E. Hayek and H. Newesely: Synthesis of Hydroxyapatite Powders (1961)

 

* How can one evaluate the blood compatibility of synthetic biomaterial surfaces?

 

* How serious the corrosion of metallic implants could be for the patients?

 

* What should one need to know about silver (Ag) nanoparticles?

 

* Could wear particles from metallic implants end up in internal organs?

 

* Metal particles in liver and spleen from metallic implants

 

* In vivo degradation of Ti-6Al-4V hip joints with polymer liners

 

*  The Whitaker Foundation / Selected Biomedical Engineering or Bioengineering Departments in USA