Corrosion resistance and biocompatibility of SrHAp/ZnO composite implant coating on titanium

Abstract The corrosion resistance of electrodeposited ZnO containing and strontium doped hydroxyapatite (SrHAp/ZnO) coating on titanium (Ti) substrate was investigated. The microstructure, phase composition and corrosion resistance of the coating were studied. The results reveal that Sr 2+ and ZnO incorporation markedly increased the density of HAp coating, i.e. the fabricated coating had significantly lower porosity than the original HAp coating. The SrHAp/ZnO coating was dense and uniform, with a flocculent morphological structure of apatite. The SrHAp/ZnO crystals were carbonated calcium-deficient hydroxyapatite, and Sr 2+ and ZnO were homogeneously distributed in the coating. The thickness of the composite coating was almost 10 μm without delamination or cracks at the interface. Bond strength test revealed that the adhesion of the SrHAp/ZnO coating was more enhanced than that of the HAp coating. The SrHAp/ZnO-coated Ti had a lower corrosion rate than the pure HAp-coated sample, which suggests the protective characteristic of the composite coating. Osteoblast cellular tests demonstrated that the SrHAp/ZnO composite coating greatly enhanced the in vitro biocompatibility of the Ti substrate.