The biological responses of artificial biomaterials are affected strongly by its interfacial topography, especially from nano- to microscale. The structure controllability is essential for the design and synthesis of novel biomedical materials. Herein, the effect of soluble silk fibroin (SF) on the cathodic electrolytic deposition (ELD) behavior of octacalcium phosphate (OCP) coating is studied. It is observed that the addition of soluble SF does not change the inorganic phase of the coating (OCP), but it has a remarkable effect on the microstructure of the deposited coating. As a result, the OCP/SF composite coating possessed a micro/nano multilevel structure is finely constructed on titanium implant by using ELD technology. Such OCP/SF composite coating significantly promotes preosteoblast cells adhesion, spreading and proliferation. In general, effects have been made to produce an in-depth understanding of protein incorporated ELD technology to extend its application in the biomedical field. It provides a promising strategy to design and synthesize biomaterials with specific biomimetic structures and functions.
Keywords: calcium phosphate; cathodic electrolytic deposition; cell response; micro/nano structure; silk fibroin additive; structural controllability.