Electrolytic deposition of calcium phosphate/chitosan coating on titanium alloy: growth kinetics and influence of current density, acetic acid, and chitosan.

Electrolytically deposited calcium phosphate/chitosan coating demonstrated good bone marrow stromal cell attachment. The aim of this study was to understand the coating's growth kinetics as well as the effects of current density, acetic acid, and chitosan on the coating's formation. The scanning electron micrographs found that calcium phosphate crystals homogeneously distributed into chitosan aggregates as early as 30 min. X-ray diffraction patterns and Fourier transform infrared spectra demonstrated that the coating experienced a compositional conversion from octacalcium phosphate to carbonate apatite during the deposition process. Electric current influenced the deposition. Higher current density accelerated the process and induced faster and more chitosan deposition. Both acetic acid and chitosan were found to inhibit calcium phosphate deposition. Chitosan was thought to induce stronger effects than acetic acid did. Furthermore, the inhibitive effect related to their concentration in the electrolyte. When chitosan concentration increased to a certain degree, this inhibitive effect not only affected calcium phosphate deposition, but also affected its own deposition. The chitosan content within the hybrid coating was small, which could be verified through Raman spectrum. At the same time, no clear evidence of chemical reactions could be found between these two components. We considered that both components were just naturally wrapped to form as a whole.