Abstract
Ultrafast laser processing with the formation of periodic surface nanostructures on the 15×(Ti/Zr)/Si multilayers is studied in order to the improve cell response. A novel nanocomposite structure in the form of 15×(Ti/Zr)/Si multilayer thin films, with satisfying mechanical properties and moderate biocompatibility, was deposited by ion sputtering on an Si substrate. The multilayer 15×(Ti/Zr)/Si thin films were modified by femtosecond laser pulses in air to induce the following modifications: (i) mixing of components inside of the multilayer structures, (ii) the formation of an ultrathin oxide layer at the surfaces, and (iii) surface nano-texturing with the creation of laser-induced periodic surface structure (LIPSS). The focus of this study was an examination of the novel Ti/Zr multilayer thin films in order to create a surface texture with suitable composition and structure for cell integration. Using the SEM and confocal microscopies of the laser-modified Ti/Zr surfaces with seeded cell culture (NIH 3T3 fibroblasts), it was found that cell adhesion and growth depend on the surface composition and morphological patterns. These results indicated a good proliferation of cells after two and four days with some tendency of the cell orientation along the LIPSSs.
Highlights
The role of biomaterials as implants based on natural or synthetic materials in clinical treatment is the replacement of damaged, non-functional organs, and tissues
The multilayer 15×(Ti/Zr)/Si thin films were modified by femtosecond laser pulses in air to induce the following modifications: (i) mixing of components inside of the multilayer structures, (ii) the formation of an ultrathin oxide layer at the surfaces, and (iii) surface nano-texturing with the creation of laser-induced periodic surface structure (LIPSS)
The observed surface structure is defined as low spatial frequency LIPSS (LSFL), originating from an interference of the incident laser beam with a surface electromagnetic wave excited during the laser treatment [41]
Summary
The role of biomaterials as implants based on natural or synthetic materials in clinical treatment is the replacement of damaged, non-functional organs, and tissues. Metallic biomaterials have been widely used in biomedical devices due to an excellent combination of mechanical properties and durability. Titanium-based materials are nowadays well integrated into the body, attributing to their constructive properties, such as high specific strength, relatively low Young’s modulus values, excellent corrosion resistance, and good biocompatibility [4,5]. New biomedical Ti-based alloys have been developed with a high concentration of β-stabilizer elements (β phase of titanium) as potential solutions to the mismatch between the Young’s modulus of the implant and the surrounding hard tissues. The most common alloying elements added to these new alloys are niobium, tantalum, zirconium, and molybdenum, as they do not exhibit any cytotoxic reaction in contact with cells [8,9,10]
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