We have developed biodegradable tri calcium phosphate [Ca3(PO4)2 , β-TCP (whitlockite)] coatings on titanium by surfacemodification to improve the corrosion resistance and biocompatibility. It is a bioresorbable biomaterial and is absorbed forthe formation of new bone tissues. Nano whitlockite powder was synthesized by wet chemical precipitation method and coatedon titanium surfaces by electrophoretic deposition (EPD) from a 1.5% suspension in ethanol. The coatings were carried outat various potentials ranging from 10-50 V and were followed by sintering in vacuum at 800 oC for 1 hr. The crystallinity,vibrational states, surface morphology and composition of the coatings were characterized by XRD, FTIR, and FE-SEM withEDAX respectively. The corrosion resistance of the coating was further evaluated electrochemically to study the stability of thecoatings using open circuit potential-time measurements, potentiodynamic polarization studies and impedance behavior in Ringer'ssolution. The electrochemical corrosion parameters evaluated indicate a shift towards noble direction for the whitlockite coatedsamples in comparison with uncoated titanium metal. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopic investigations revealed the stablenature of the coatings formed. In vitro cytotoxicity studies of the coated material were carried out by MTT assay. The stable natureof the cells confirms the biocompatibility of whitlockite coatings on the titanium substrate.

Keywords: Whitlockite, Electrophoretic deposition, Titanium, Electrochemical studies, Biocompatibility