Abstract
We report a study on the biocompatibility vs. thickness in the case of titanium nitride (TiN) films synthesized on 410 medical grade stainless steel substrates by pulsed laser deposition. The films were grown in a nitrogen atmosphere, and their in vitro cytotoxicity was assessed according to ISO 10993-5 [1]. Extensive physical-chemical analyses have been carried out on the deposited structures with various thicknesses in order to explain the differences in biological behavior: profilometry, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction and surface energy measurements. XPS revealed the presence of titanium oxynitride beside TiN in amounts that vary with the film thickness. The cytocompatibility of films seems to be influenced by their TiN surface content. The thinner films seem to be more suitable for medical applications, due to the combined high values of bonding strength and superior cytocompatibility.
Highlights
titanium nitride (TiN) films synthesized by ion beam deposition [12], direct current magnetron sputtering [13], cathodic arc evaporation [14], pulsed laser deposition [15,16], chemical precursor synthesis [17], chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and plasma-assisted CVD techniques [18,19] are used for a wide variety of applications, including biomedical ones [20,21], with specific demands for improving the wear resistance, adhesion to the substrate and fatigue [22]
Complex physical-chemical, mechanical and biological studies have been carried out on titanium nitride (TiN) thin films of various thicknesses, synthesized by pulsed laser deposition in low nitrogen pressure in order to explain a better biocompatibility observed in the case of thinner films
By comparing the samples to the control glass substrate, a fibroblast mortality higher with 45% was observed in the case of films of ~130 nm as compared to 12% obtained in the case of ~60 nm-thick films
Summary
The improvement in the performance and durability of tissue- and bone-cutting devices is dependent on the structural, morphological, mechanical and biological properties of hard coatings applied on the surface.Titanium nitride (TiN) is a well-known, extremely hard, biocompatible ceramic material [2]; it possesses high electron conductivity and mobility, as well as a high melting point [3].Its excellent physical and chemical properties, which can be varied in a broad range [4,5], have generated great interest and have been exploited in the field of hard and protective coatings [6,7,8,9].We note that TiN presents good wear and corrosion resistance properties when used in physiological environments [10,11].Materials 2016, 9, 38; doi:10.3390/ma9010038 www.mdpi.com/journal/materialsTiN films synthesized by ion beam deposition [12], direct current magnetron sputtering [13], cathodic arc evaporation [14], pulsed laser deposition [15,16], chemical precursor synthesis [17], chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and plasma-assisted CVD techniques [18,19] are used for a wide variety of applications, including biomedical ones [20,21], with specific demands for improving the wear resistance, adhesion to the substrate and fatigue [22]. The improvement in the performance and durability of tissue- and bone-cutting devices is dependent on the structural, morphological, mechanical and biological properties of hard coatings applied on the surface. Titanium nitride (TiN) is a well-known, extremely hard, biocompatible ceramic material [2]; it possesses high electron conductivity and mobility, as well as a high melting point [3]. We note that TiN presents good wear and corrosion resistance properties when used in physiological environments [10,11]. After applying TiN coatings, the biocompatibility of implants manufactured from various metallic alloys (such as cobalt-chromium, chromium-nickel or titanium alloys) is improved, increasing the wear and corrosion resistance and avoiding allergic reactions that may occur when a metallic implant is introduced inside the human body [23,24]
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