Fluoridated hydroxyapatite (FHAp) was successfully synthesized from the starting materials of CaCO3, CaBPO(4)center dot 2H(2)O, and CaF2 via a mechanochemical-hydrothermal route. X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, surface area measurements, and scanning electron microscopy identified the resultant powders as FHAp nanocrystals with the specific surface areas of up to 114.72 m(2)/g. The mechanism study revealed that under such mechanochemical-hydrothermal conditions the formation reactions of FHAp were completed in two stages. The starting materials firstly reacted into a poorly crystallized calcium-deficient apatite and the complete incorporation of fluoride ions into apatite occurred in the second stage. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.