Abstract
The research presented in this article concerns Zr–C coatings which were deposited on 304L steel by reactive magnetron sputtering from the Zr target in an Ar–C2H2 atmosphere at various acetylene flow rates, resulting in various atomic carbon concentrations in the coating. The article describes research covering the change in the antibacterial and anticorrosive properties of these coatings due to the change in their chemical and phase composition. The concentration of C in the coatings varied from 21 to 79 at.%. The coating morphology and the elemental distribution in individual coatings were characterized using field emission scanning electron microscopy with an energy-dispersive X-ray analytical system. X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy were used to analyze their microstructure and phase composition. Parallel changes in the mechanical properties of the coatings were analyzed. Based on the obtained results, it was concluded that the wide possibility of shaping the mechanical properties of Zr–C coatings in combination with relatively good antibacterial properties after exceeding 50 at.% of carbon concentration in coatings and high protective potential of these coatings make them a good candidate for medical applications. In particular, corrosion tests showed the high anti-pitting potential of Zr–C coatings in the environment of artificial saliva.
Highlights
Metals and alloys are widely used in the production of medical implants for use in dentistry, cardiology, orthopedic fractures, etc
ICDDdatabase, database,for for coating with a carbon concentration of at.%, the peak with the highest intensity comes from the coatingwith withaacarbon carbon concentration concentration of of 21
Considering the contact angle as a measure of hydrophobicity and at the same time as an assessment of potential antibacterial properties, it can be generally observed that surfaces with Zr–C coatings have better antibacterial properties than surfaces of uncoated 304L steel and that coated with Zr
Summary
Metals and alloys are widely used in the production of medical implants for use in dentistry, cardiology, orthopedic fractures, etc. In the case of dental and orthodontic implants, some studies show that biofilms caused by attachment of bacteria are responsible for about 65% of infections such as periodontal disease and peri-implant diseases [3] To prevent these adverse effects, surface treatments are used, among which the deposition of coatings by PVD and CVD methods are one of the ways to improve their mechanical and biological properties [4,5,6,7,8]. The coatings should fulfill a number of functions, such as bacterial resistance, i.e., resistance to adhesion and colonization of bacteria [9,10] They should be biocompatible [11], have adequate thrombogenicity [12,13] in cardiac surgery applications and create a suitable diffusion barrier for elements causing allergic reactions in the case of deposition of coatings on medical steels [4,14].
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