The effect of TiO2 nanopowder coating on in vitro bioactivity of porous TiO2 scaffolds

Porous TiO2 ceramic has attracted considerable research interest as a scaffold material for bone tissue engineering. However, no special considerations are given to the in vitro bioactivity of highly porous TiO2 ceramic scaffolds and they are assumed as bioinert ceramic. The main goal of the present work was to fabricate novel highly porous and bioactive TiO2 ceramic scaffolds with interconnected pore structure for bone tissue engineering. TiO2 ceramic scaffolds with pore size in the range from 300 to 700 μm and porosity >90% were produced via polymer foam replica method. Scaffolds were coated with TiO2 nanopowder and the effect of TiO2 nanopowder coating on in vitro bioactivity in simulated body fluid was studied. Uncoated TiO2 scaffolds showed no in vitro bioactivity after immersion in SBF for 21 days, but sphere-like particles were observed on the surface of coated TiO2 scaffolds that were considered being B type CO32− substituted or bonelike apatite.