J. Mater. Sci. Technol. ›› 2022, Vol. 97: 201-212.DOI: 10.1016/j.jmst.2021.04.056

• Research Article • Previous Articles     Next Articles

A nano-structured TiO2/CuO/Cu2O coating on Ti-Cu alloy with dual function of antibacterial ability and osteogenic activity

Yuan Zhanga, Shan Fua, Lei Yanga,b, Gaowu Qina,b, Erlin Zhanga,b,*()   

  1. aKey Laboratory for Anisotropy and Texture of Materials (MoE), School of Materials Science and Engineering, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, China
    bResearch Center for Metallic Wires, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, China
  • Received:2021-03-15 Revised:2021-04-06 Accepted:2021-04-17 Published:2021-07-02 Online:2021-07-02
  • Contact: Erlin Zhang
  • About author:* E-mail address: zhangel@atm.neu.edu.cn (E. Zhang).

Abstract:

Bacteria-associated infection and poor osseointegration are two main reasons for orthopedic implant failure. Ti-Cu alloy exhibited excellent antibacterial property, but still presented unsatisfied osteogenic activities. Therefore, Ti-Cu alloy was surface modified by an alkali-heat treatment in this paper to improve the osteogenic ability without reduction in antibacterial ability. A TiO2/CuO/Cu2O composite coating with nanostructure was deposited on Ti-Cu alloy. The coating showed increased roughness and great hydrophilicity. Antibacterial tests indicated that the modified Ti-Cu alloy exhibited stronger antibacterial ability against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) than Ti-Cu alloy. Meanwhile, cell experiments demonstrated that the composite coating promoted initial adhesion and spreading of MC3T3-E1 cells, enhanced alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activities as well as extracellular matrix (ECM) mineralization, and significantly upregulated osteogenesis-related gene expressions. It was suggested that the nano-structured TiO2/CuO/Cu2O coating on Ti-Cu alloy might provide a potential strategy for orthopedic implant failure.

Key words: Ti-Cu alloy, Alkali-heat treatment, Antibacterial property, Osteogenic activity