Abstract
Our previous work has shown that for cardiac applications, combining low-temperature plasma oxidation with an amorphous carbon coating (a-C:N:H type) constitutes a prospective solution. In this study, a short-term modification by low-temperature oxygen plasma is proposed as an example and a method for shaping the topography and surface energy of the outer amorphous carbon coating, produced via the Radio-Frequency Chemical Vapour Deposition (RFCVD) method on NiTi alloy oxidized under glow-discharge conditions. This treatment alters the chemical composition of the outer zone of the surface layer. A slight increase is also noted in the surface roughness at the nanoscale. The contact angles were shown to increase by about 20% for water and 30% for diiodomethane, while the surface free energy decreased by ca. 11%. The obtained results indicate that even short-term contact with low-temperature plasma can shape the surface properties of the carbon coating, an outcome which shows potential in terms of its use in medical applications.
Highlights
Since it was discovered that a great potential of NiTi shape memory alloy is its use in producing a novel medical implant, its surface modifications have been the interest of research groups across the world, trying to further improve its biocompatibility in terms of its medical applications
As far as we are aware, we present for the first time the possibility of a new surface treatment combining low-temperature plasma oxidization under glow-discharge conditions with the Radio-Frequency Chemical Vapour Deposition (RFCVD) process, and short-term oxygen plasma treatment to shape the properties of produced amorphous carbon coatings, including surface topography, chemical composition, wettability, and surface free energy
The proposed modification consists of the improvement of a hybrid process which combines oxidization at low-temperature glow-discharge plasma with the RFCVD process enabling the production of amorphous carbon coatings, by the addition of a step of short-term treatment of the produced a-C:N:H + TiO2 layers in the oxygen plasma
Summary
Since it was discovered that a great potential of NiTi shape memory alloy is its use in producing a novel medical implant, its surface modifications have been the interest of research groups across the world, trying to further improve its biocompatibility in terms of its medical applications. As far as we are aware, we present for the first time the possibility of a new surface treatment combining low-temperature plasma oxidization under glow-discharge conditions with the RFCVD process, and short-term oxygen plasma treatment to shape the properties of produced amorphous carbon coatings, including surface topography, chemical composition, wettability, and surface free energy. Our work brings some new knowledge to light in terms of the possibility of modifying the properties of outer carbon coatings without influencing the bulk material-NiTi alloy, as well as simulating additional processes such as sterilization that are necessary for their use in medical implants and can be performed in plasma conditions They should be considered a final step of surface treatment, since they are not without significance in terms of their influence on the chemical composition and the surface free energy of the outer zone of the surface layers. It is important to clearly understand the impact of even short-term plasma treatment on the surface layers and keep this under precise control
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