Preparation of titania nanowires/calcium titanate hybrid structure on titanium surface through hydrothermal treatment and using oyster shell as calcium source

Abstract

Titanium (Ti) has been widely used in dental implants, but the bioactivity and bactericidal efficacy of its surface are still important issues. The main purpose of this study is to prepare a TiO2 nanowire structure with CaTiO3 nanocubes on the Ti surface, and to evaluate its bioactivity and bactericidal performance. The experimental results indicated that the morphology of nanowires can be obtained on the Ti surface after hydrothermal reaction in NaOH solution at 190 °C for 8 h. Na can be removed by subsequent heat treatment at 300 °C and then soaking in HCl solution. Afterward, TiO2 with anatase can be obtained after heat treatment at 500 °C for 1 min. Finally, the sample was placed in a Ca(OH)2 solution for hydrothermal treatment at 170 and 190 °C for 2 h in order to obtain CaTiO3 nanocubes. The immersion test in artificial simulated body fluid showed that the surface of Ti with CaTiO3 nanocubes after hydrothermal treatment at 170 °C had good apatite formation ability, indicating its excellent bioactivity. Additionally, this study also confirmed that TiO2 nanowires/CaTiO3 nanocubes also have good bactericidal efficacy. Therefore, the structure with TiO2 nanowires/CaTiO3 nanocubes prepared by the surface modification process in this experiment can make Ti surface exhibits excellent bioactivity and bactericidal efficacy, which can improve osseointegration and reduce the risk of infection and are promising candidates for dental implant applications.