Effect of addition of CaTiO3 powder to sol-gel coatings prepared by dip coating method on mechanical properties and biocompatibility

In this paper, the mechanical properties and bioactivity of CaTiO₃ (Calcium titanate) ceramic coatings prepared by dip coating method on titanium substrates were measured. To prepare 350 nm thick coatings, CaTiO₃ powders of different amounts (3 g, 5 g and 7 g per 25 ml of sol-gel) were added to our pre-prepared sol-gel. This sol-gel itself showed excellent biocompatible properties in previous measurements. The structure and surface morphology of the coatings after addition of the powder were investigated by X-ray diffraction, SEM (Scanning electron microscope), EDS (Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy), mechanical properties and surface wettability were also studied. The biological response of MG63 cell lines was measured by culturing the cells at 24, 48 and 72 h intervals. The results show a correlation between surface morphology and contact angle value, which are affected by the addition of powder, and the percentage increase in cell colonizationinteraction. The conditions that showed the best results with respect to the percentage increase in cell colonies were determined. The best response was obtained for the sample of 5 g CaTiO₃ + 25 ml sol-gel on titanium substrate.