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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 17 March 2011
A bone-like composite coating of collagen protein and calcium phosphate minerals is considered to be bioactive and may enhance bone growth and fixation of metallic orthopedic implants. In this study, we have successfully prepared a uniform collagen fibril/octacalcium phosphate composite coating on silicon substrate by electrolytic deposition. Under a typical deposition condition, a thin (100 nm) layer of calcium phosphate coating would form on the cathode (Si) surface first, which was followed by a thick (∼100 μm) composite coating. The porous composite layer consists of a collagen fibril network on which clusters of octacalium phosphate crystals nucleate and grow. The results not only provide a novel bioactive coating for biomedical implants, but also establish a new experimental protocol for studying biomineralization mechanisms of collagen based biological tissues.