A novel biofunctional TaCu coating on Ti6Al4V by CVD method

Abstract

Although Ti6Al4V alloy has been widely used in the orthopedic implants, their problems of toxic metal ions dissolution and the lack of biological activity still has negative effects on the clinic outcome. To solve these problems, a novel biofunctional Cu bearing Ta coating on Ti6Al4V alloy surface by CVD was proposed. In this study, by Ta/Cu co-deposition, the uniform and compact TaCu coatings with different Cu contents were successfully prepared for the first time. It was found that the Ta-1.2Cu coating had excellent antibacterial ability, and the antibacterial rate against both E. coli and S. aureus reached 99.9 %. Additionally, owing to Al and V toxic elements being restricted in the matrix and the excellent biological activity of Ta, the TaCu coatings on Ti6Al4V alloy simultaneously eliminated the toxicity of metal ions and acquired anti-infection function.