ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces electrochemical deposition of Calcium phosphate (CaP) ceramics represented by hydroxyapatite (HA). Biological molecules such as proteins canbe incorporated by electrochemical deposition (EPD). In the biomedical field, ceramic coatings have been used to modify the surfaces of orthopedic and dental metallic implants and, in some cases, to create an entirely new surface that gives the implant properties that are quite different from the uncoated device. The electrophoretic deposition process is often used for thick ceramic films, whereas the electrolytic deposition process is often used for the formation of nanostructured thin ceramic films. Numerous studies have been reported on EPD of CaP ceramics such as HA onto metallic biomaterials. The early investigations introduced earlier mainly focused on the electrochemical deposition of a CaP coating in a CaP solution having a relatively simple composition. The sudden increase in pH triggers crystal nucleation and initiates crystal growth of the desired CaP phase directly on the substrate surface.
