NANOCOMPOSITE COATINGS NANOCOMPOSITE COATINGS FOR BIOMEDICAL APPLICATIONS By

New electrochemical deposition methods have been developed for the fabrication of advanced composite coatings for biomedical applications. The methods are based on electrodeposition of biopolymers, such as cathodic electrodeposition of chitosan, anodic electrodeposition of alginic acid and hyaluronic acid. Another approach is based on anodic electropolymerization of polypyrrole. Electrochemical strategies have been discovered for the electrochemical co-deposition of polymers with other functional biomaterials, such as proteins, drugs, bioactive ceramics and bioglass. Bovine serum albumin was used as a model protein for the development of new electrochemical strategies for the fabrication of composite coatings containing proteins. New strategies have been further utilized for the fabrication of novel composites containing hemoglobin. It was found that biopolymers can be used for efficient electrosteric dispersion of bioceramics and bioglass in suspensions. Co-deposition of biopolymers with bioceramics and bioglass from the suspensions resulted in the fabrication of composite organic-inorganic bone substitute materials