Formation and bioactivity of porous and nanostructured TiO2/beta-TCP coating on titanium

Titanium and its alloys have been widely used as hard tissue implants due to their excellent mechanical properties and biocompatibility. However, their near bio-inertness and metallic ion release are still the problems with clinical uses. In this paper, porous and nanostructured TiO2/beta-tricalcium phosphate (beta-TCP) composite coatings were prepared on titanium substrates by plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) in a Ca and P-containing electrolyte. The influence of PEO electric current density on phase composition and bioactivity of the coatings were studied. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transfer infrared spectroscopy were utilized to characterize the phase composition and microstructure of the coatings. Simulated body fluid immersion tests were employed on the coatings to evaluate their bioactivity. The results reveal that TiO2/beta-TCP composite coating with pores size less than 10 microm and grains of 50-100 nm in size was prepared. The electric current density of PEO is an important factor in the formation of the composite coating. The TiO2/beta-TCP composite coating shows good bioactivity, which are attributed to the incorporation of beta-TCP.