Nanostructure-based wettability modification of TiAl6V4 alloy surface for modulating biofilm production: Superhydrophilic, superhydrophobic, and slippery surfaces

Abstract

In recent decades, with the rapid development of nanosurface technology, superhydrophobic surfaces and slippery liquid-infused porous surfaces (SLIPS) have been researched for industrialization because of their superior antibiofilm performance. The antibiofilm effect of the surface can influence the recovery of an affected area in the human body, making it an important research topic in the medical community. Although several application-based studies have been conducted using surfaces with various wetting properties, such surface modification studies have rarely been applied to TiAl6V4, the most representative metal inserted into the human body. In this study, we present various wettability modification methods, including the formation of superhydrophilic/hydrophobic surfaces and SLIPS, for TiAl6V4. Moreover, the antibiofilm performance of each fabricated surface was evaluated and compared. Each surface in the process was carefully analyzed physically and chemically. Modified TiAl6V4 surfaces were used to evaluate the antibiofouling effect that prevents surgical infection using Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus, which have been reported in several clinical cases of periprosthetic infection. Based on crystal violet staining of the biofilm, it was confirmed that the TiAl6V4 plate perfectly suppressed biofilm generation when exposed to bacteria when it had a micro-nanostructured or nanostructured superhydrophobic surface.