A simple strategy to prepare hybrid coating on titanium (Ti6Al4V)

Abstract

The wide use of Titanium and its alloys as biomaterial is due to their excellent mechanical properties and chemical stability, good corrosion resistance and biocompatibility. Their main limitations (poor biological activity leading to deficient osseointegration and high surface potential for bacterial colonization) can be overcome with a simple two-step strategy to modify Ti6Al4V substrates with a hybrid coating that includes: (1) the electrodeposition of a calcium phosphate phase to provide them with bioactive functionality, and (2) the incorporation of Ag-NPs to the calcium phosphate coating to add antibacterial functionality. The substrates were characterized by Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy. Further, they were evaluated for antibacterial properties and cytocompatibility. The bioactive coating was composed by octacalcium phosphate and hydroxyapatite with granular morphology that originates pores and increases its total exposed area. Hybrid substrates showed homogeneously distribution of silver throughout the surface, excellent antibacterial ability against adherent and planktonic Staphylococcus aureus and a very good behavior for supporting cell adhesion and proliferation, resulting in proper environments for the integration with bone tissue without the release of toxic species that can affect the cell viability.