Nanoelectrochemical coatings on titanium for bioimplant applications

AbstractNanometre sized hydroxyapatite grains improve bioactivity and improve osteoblast functions, and are better than the micron sized hydroxyapatite. The surface of titanium can be modified to coat nanosized hydroxyapatite by electrochemical deposition from electrolytes containing calcium and phosphorus precursors. Recently, ultrasonic agitation has been employed to obtain thin coatings of hydroxyapatite. This coating contains nanosized apatite that shows a promising osteoblast cell activity. Moreover, titanium oxide nanotubes have attracted the attention of various researchers due to the increased exploitation of specific functional properties of TiO2 in various applications. TiO2 nanotubes have been formed by anodic oxidation in fluoride based acid electrolytes and these have thicknesses of up to a maximum of 500 nm. Use of fluoride containing glycerol electrolyte is shown to produce smooth tubes of very high aspect ratio. Ultrasonic agitation of the electrolyte has also been employed to produce good...