Sol-gel derived bioactive hydroxyapatite/titania composite films on Ti6Al4V

The composite films consisting of the titania gel impregnated with hydroxyapatite (HAP) submicron particles were prepared on commercial Ti6Al4V plates processed by a sol-gel route. HAP powders were synthesized based on wet chemical precipitation method with Ca(NO3)24H2O and (NH4)2HPO4 as starting reagents. After being calcined at 900°C, HAP powders were ultrasonically scattered in ethanol to produce HAP sol. The titania sol was prepared using titanium (IV) isopropoxide {Ti[OCH(CH3)2]4} as precursor. Both the titania sol and the HAP/titania mixture were sequentially spin-coated on the substrates and calcined at various temperatures. The characteristics and mechanical adhesion of the composite films were investigated. The results show that the as-prepared films are dense, homogeneous, well-crystallized, and there is a good interfacial adhesion between the film and the substrate. The in vitro bioactivities of these films were discussed based on the analysis of the variations of Ca and P concentrations in the simulated body fluid and their surface morphologies against immersion time.