Carbon nanotubes-titanium electrode for detecting calcium deposition by osteoblasts

The objective of this in vitro present study was to develop an electrode which can detect calcium deposition by osteoblasts. The primary biomaterial for this electrode is anodized Ti, developed by chemical etching and passivation treatments. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs), because of their enhancement in electron transfer reaction, are essential to consider when designing the electrodes. For this, parallel multiwall CNTs were grown from the pores of the anodized Ti by a chemical vapor deposition process. Preliminary in vitro results suggest that osteoblast functions (specifically alkaline phosphatase activity and calcium deposition) on CNTs grown on anodized Ti are significantly enhanced when compared to anodized Ti and currently-used Ti; thus, it is anticipated that bone growth could be enhanced on these biomaterial electrodes.