Abstract
This study investigated the electrophoretic deposition (EPD) of the natural polymer zein combined with bioactive glass (BG) particles. Through the deposition of various BG compositions, namely 45S5 BG and Cu-doped BG, this work sought to demonstrate the ability of the films to potentiate the formation of hydroxyapatite (HA) in contact with simulated body fluid (SBF). Following incubation in SBF, the physical and chemical surface properties of the EPD films were evaluated using different characterization techniques. The formation of HA at the surface of the coatings following immersion in SBF was confirmed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The results demonstrated HA formation in all coatings after seven days of immersion in SBF. Coating morphology and degradation of the zein films were characterized using environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM). The results confirmed EPD as a very convenient room temperature technique for production of ion releasing, bioactive, and antibacterial coatings for potential application in orthopedics.
Highlights
The demand for bioactive metallic implants that promote biological adhesion to bone tissue continues to rise, driving the development of new bio-responsive surfaces for stainless steel and titanium alloy orthopedic prostheses [1,2,3]
We have shown the effective electrophoretic deposition of organic/inorganic composites on stainless steel, forming two coatings of zein containing 45S5 Bioactive glass (BG) and Cu-doped 45S5 BG fillers
The coatings showed homogeneous and near crack-free surfaces with BG particles distributed in the entire film
Summary
The demand for bioactive metallic implants that promote biological adhesion to bone tissue continues to rise, driving the development of new bio-responsive surfaces for stainless steel and titanium alloy orthopedic prostheses [1,2,3]. In order to mimic the composite structure of natural bone, biodegradable polymer/BG composite coatings are increasingly being investigated for orthopedic purposes [8] This approach combines the ideal bulk mechanical properties of the metallic implants (i.e., tensile strength and toughness) with the desired surface properties offered by BG, but it eliminates the need for high temperature processing required for pure BG coatings. Resorbable biopolymers acting as BG support coatings can accelerate the bonding process between new tissue and the surface of metallic implants by exploiting the polymer gradual degradation. This caters for the growth of new tissue into the implant interface [9]. The level of ion release from BG particles can be controlled by the degradable biopolymer matrix, Coatings 2018, 8, 27; doi:10.3390/coatings8010027 www.mdpi.com/journal/coatings which act a vehicle conventional drug release facilitating bone growth [10]
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