Arc Plasma Deposition of TiO2 Nanoparticles from Colloidal Solution

Jovan Ciganović,Vladimir Pavkov,Vesna Maksimović,Ivana Cvijović‐Alagić,Milovan Stoiljković

doi:10.30544/587

Abstract

Surface modifications of metallic biomaterials can in great merit, improve the properties of the hard-tissue implants and in that way contribute to the success of the surgical implantation process. Coating deposition stands out as one of the many surface-modifying techniques that can be used to improve implant surface properties and, in turn, induce successful osseointegration. Deposition of the TiO2 layer on the surface of the metallic implants has a great potential to enhance not only their osseointegration ability but also their biocompatibility and corrosion resistance. In the present study, the possibility of successful deposition of the TiO2 layer on the surface of commercially pure titanium (CP-Ti), as the most commonly used metallic implant material, by spraying the colloidal nanoparticles aqueous solution in the electric discharge plasma at atmospheric pressure was investigated. To characterize the colloidal TiO2 nanoparticle solution, used for the coating deposition process, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was utilized, while scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and optical profilometry were used to investigate the deposited surface layer morphology and quality. Estimation of the deposited film quality and texture was used to confirm that the arc plasma deposition technique can be successfully used as an advanced and easy-to-apply method for coating the metallic implant material surface with the bioactive TiO2 layer which favors the osseointegration process through the improvement of the implant surface properties. The TiO2 coating was successfully deposited using the arc plasma deposition technique and covered the entire surface of the CP-Ti substrate without any signs of coating cracking or detachment.

Highlights

Metallic biomaterials are successfully used for decades in biomedicine for the production of hard-tissue implants designed to substitute the loss of a specific body part, organ, or function [1,2,3]
The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis of the deposited layer revealed that this layer is continuous and that it covers the entire surface of the commercially pure titanium (CP-Ti) work-piece
The presence of a strong temperature gradient in the vortex formed around the high-temperature plasma column resulted in the formation of the TiO2 layer on the CP-Ti substrate surface with different morphological features depending on the distance from the plasma column

Summary

Introduction

Metallic biomaterials are successfully used for decades in biomedicine for the production of hard-tissue implants designed to substitute the loss of a specific body part, organ, or function [1,2,3]. Further development of biometallics and improvement of their properties must always be in accordance with the specific biomedical application requirements and imperative to produce the more durable implants which can withstand significant biomechanical loads, provide high functionality in the corrosive environment, and safe service during the interaction with living cells and tissues [3, 4]. The economic aspect of high-quality implant manufacture cannot be disregarded since their economic production leads to the obtainment of more affordable medical devices attainable for a wider group of patients. Having all this in mind, the modification of already used biometallic materials stands out as an economically acceptable and efficient solution for the fabrication of durable implants with improved characteristics [7,8]. Arc plasma deposition can be singled out as an easy-to-apply coating deposition technique that offers the possibility to deposit different types of coatings on the surface of the metallic implants depending on their medical application requirements [7, 9, 10]

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Conclusion