Bioactive and antibacterial titanium surfaces

Description: An innovative and patented surface chemical treatment allows the development of a nanotextured titanium oxide layer on the surface of titanium and its alloys with bioactive behaviour. This layer is rich of hydroxyl groups, shows increased wettability and protein absorption ability compared to the bare metal and induces the precipitation of hydroxyapatite upon soaking in Simulated Body fluid (SBF). The modified surface supports osteoblasts adhesion, proliferation and differentiantion and is suitable for bone integration purposes. Surface hydroxyl groups can be effectively exploited for surface grafting of various biomolecules. The addition of a silver salt in the treatment solution induces surface silver enrichment conferring antibacterial properties to the bioactive metal. The main advantages of this technology are the following: mu.jpgunctional action (topography and chemistry), multi-step process (the level of complexity of the process can be chosen depending on the application), antibacterial action without antibiotics, rapid and easily industrializable process, modified surfaces suitable for conventional sterilization/storage, no coatings, unaltered mechanical resistance and improved corrosion resistance.

Contact(s)

silvia.spriano@polito.it

Recent reference(s)

Ferraris S. et al Surf. Coat Tech 276 (2015): 374-383. DOI: 10.1016/j.surfcoat.2015.06.042

Ferraris S. et al Appl Surf Sci 311 (2014): 279-291. DOI: 10.1016/j.apsusc.2014.05.056

Ferraris S. et al. J. Mater Sci: Mater Med 22 (2011): 533-545. DOI: 10.1007/s10856-011-4246-2

Spriano S. et al. J Mech Med Biol, 15 (2015), art. no. 1540001, . DOI: 10.1142/S0219519415400011

Funding

Bilateral project (Italy-Japan): GLOBAL - GuideLines for the setting-up of a prOtocol for characterizing Bioactive and AntibacteriaL biomaterials, Italian Ministry for Foreign Affairs