Biocompatibility and antibacterial properties of medical stainless steel and titanium modified by alumina and hafnia films prepared by atomic layer deposition

• Published in: Journal of materials science. Materials in medicine 2024-11, Vol.35 (1), p.68-14, Article 68
• Main Authors: Spajić, Ivan, Morais, Miguel Gonçalves, Monteiro, Cláudia, Martins, M. Cristina L., Pêgo, Ana Paula, Milošev, Ingrid
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aluminum oxide; Aluminum Oxide - chemistry; Anti-Bacterial Agents - chemistry; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Atomic layer epitaxy; Austenitic stainless steels; Bacterial Adhesion - drug effects; Biocompatibility; Biocompatible Materials - chemistry; Biomaterials; Biomaterials Synthesis and Characterization; Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering; Ceramics; Chemistry and Materials Science; Coated Materials, Biocompatible - chemistry; Coated Materials, Biocompatible - pharmacology; Composites; Contact angle; Glass; Hafnium oxide; Humans; Materials Science; Materials Testing; Mesenchymal Stem Cells; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; Natural Materials; Polymer Sciences; Production methods; Regenerative Medicine/Tissue Engineering; Scanning electron microscopy; Stainless steel; Stainless Steel - chemistry; Staphylococcus aureus - drug effects; Stem cells; Surface energy; Surface Properties; Surfaces and Interfaces; Surgical implants; Thin Films; Titanium; Titanium - chemistry
• ISSN: 1573-4838; 0957-4530; 1573-4838
• DOI: 10.1007/s10856-024-06841-8

New methods for producing surfaces with suitable biocompatible properties are desirable due to increasing demands for biomedical devices. Stainless steel 316 L and cp- titanium specimens were coated with thin films of alumina and hafnia deposited using the atomic layer deposition method at two temperatures, 180 and 260 °C. The morphology of the films was analysed using scanning electron microscopy, and their surface energies were determined based on drop contact angle measurements. Biocompatibility assays performed using mesenchymal stem cells were evaluated by incubating the specimens and then exposing their extracts to the cells or directly seeding cells on the specimen surfaces. No detrimental effect was noticed for any of the specimens. Antibacterial properties were tested by directly incubating the specimens with the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus . Overall, our data show that all prepared films were biocompatible. Alumina films deposited on cp-titanium at 260 °C outperform the other prepared and tested surfaces regarding antiadhesive properties, which could be related to their low surface energy.