Surface hydroxyls regulation promotes light-induced cell detachment on TiO2 nanodot films

Abstract

In this work, hydrothermal treatment and ultraviolet illumination (254 nm) were utilized to regulate the surface hydroxyls of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanodots films. The effects on light-induced cell detachment behaviors were also investigated and discussed. Scanning electron microscopy, Raman, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Circular dichroism were used to characterize the surface morphology, crystalline phase, surface composition and adsorption conformation of protein molecules. It was found that a combined process of ultraviolet illumination followed by hydrothermal treatment not only promoted cells adhesion but also showed the highest efficiency in light induced cell detachment. The reason is ascribed to that such process promotes the formation of terminal hydroxyl groups in TiO2 surface, and subsequently affect the adsorption conformation of protein molecules. This study indicated that such treatment could effectively modulate the contents of surface hydroxyl groups in different states. That shows much potential in optimizing the biological performance of TiO2 based biomaterials.