RETRACTED: The effect of electropulsing induced gradient topographic oxide coating of Ti–Al–V alloy strips on the fibroblast adhesion and growth

Abstract

The effects of electropulsing induced gradient topographic oxide coating of Ti–Al–V alloy matrix strips on the fibroblast adhesion and growth were investigated. The goal in biomaterial surface modification was to possess desired recognition and specificity through modifying its surface condition like topological structure. Here we developed a unique strategy of high-energy electropulsing treatment (EPT) for manipulating surface gradient bio-functionalization of basal textured Ti–6Al–4V alloy strips with the surface gradient topographic oxide coating, which brings in the gradient distribution of surface conditions including matrix alloy, ordinary TiO2 film and TiO2 microwaves on a single strip. High-energy electropulse is frequently used as an electrically-treated method in improving the material microstructure and mechanical property. This paper reports firstly the surface modification under EPT aiming to improve the biocompatibility, which will meet the demand of biomaterials in different parts of human beings. Novel TiO2 microwave topological structure on the material surface resulted in better biocompatibility with more active fibroblast bio-reaction including higher cell viability, better physiological morphology and stronger adhesion binding, which is ascribed to surface chemical components, surface energy and specific surface area under EPT manipulation. The key role of forming TiO2 microwave structure solely under EPT is the selective effect of the electropulses going through the textured specimen, which thus builds a selective growth of the oxide and forms the microwave topological structure on the material surface. The positive contributions of EPT in the thermodynamics and kinetics of oxide coating growth are attributed to the reduction of nucleation energy barrier and acceleration of atomic diffusion. Thus, the gradient functionalization of biomaterials can be tuned over several second EPT in the titanium alloys, opening an energy-saving and high-efficiency door to diverse biomedical applications including the tissue engineering and biological interfaces.