Electrodeposition of alginate/chitosan layer-by-layer composite coatings on titanium substrates

In this study, alginate/chitosan layer-by-layer composite coatings were prepared on titanium substrates via electrodeposition. The mechanism of anodic deposition of anionic alginate based on the pH decrease at the anode surface, while the pH increase at the cathode surface enabled the deposition of cationic chitosan coatings. The surface of coatings was characterized by using attenuated total reflection–Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR–FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The properties of coatings were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and differential thermal analysis (DTA). Indirect in vitro cytotoxicity test showed that the extracts of coating had no significant effects on cell viability. Moreover, in vitro cytocompatibility test exhibited cell population and spreading tendency, suggesting that the coatings were non-toxic to L929 cells. However, the results revealed that alginate coating was more benefit for cells growing than chitosan coating. The results indicated that the proposed method could be used to fabricate alginate/chitosan layer-by-layer composite coatings on the titanium surface at room temperature and such composite coatings might have potential applications in tissue engineering scaffolds field.