Proliferation of mouse fibroblasts and osteoblastic cells on ZrO2-, SiO2-, and ZnO-deposited pure titanium discs using atomic layer deposition

Abstract

Thin films of ZrO2 (ZR), SiO2 (SI), and ZnO (ZN) were deposited on pure titanium (Ti) discs using the atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique. The eluted amounts of Zr, Si, and Zn were measured using an inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometer. The amounts of Zr and Si were below the detection level, while a small amount of Zn was detected in ZN. Cell proliferation in the samples was analyzed using the water-soluble tetrazolium salts (WST) assay. The number of L929 and MC3T3-E1 cells on ZR and SI increased over time. However, the number of both cells did not increase in ZN. This study highlights the possibility of depositing thin films on dental implants with complex shapes, and ALD could be a novel surface processing method for Ti dental implants in the near future.