Research Progress in Superhydrophobic Titanium-Based Implants for Antibacterial Applications

Abstract

Titanium and its alloys have been extensively used as implant materials in clinic settings. However, implant-associated bacterial infection or inflammation remains a primary cause of implantation failure, which threatens human health, and has already become a global issue. Recently, a superhydrophobic surface endowed with a water contact angle higher than 150° has attracted widespread attention in antibacterial applications for their self-cleaning and low-adhesion properties, which has emerged as an important path in preventing biofilm formation. This review first describes the basic theories of wettability. In the second section, we explain biofilm formation, which is a primary pathogenic occurrence in the development of infection in implants. In the last and most important section, we summarize the progress of superhydrophobic titanium-based implants and recent antibacterial applications. This review will attract great interest from both research scientists and clinicians, which will help to rapidly expand superhydrophobic titanium-based implants for antibacterial applications.