X. Liu, Shanghai Institute of Cermaics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China; X. Zhao, Department of Materials Science and technology, Jiangsu Polytechnic University, changzhou, China; C. Ding, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Shanghai, China
Although some types of TiO2 powders and gel-derived films can exhibit bioactivity, plasma-sprayed TiO2 coatings are always bioinert, thereby hampering wider applications in bone implants. In this work, a TiO2 coating with nanostructured surface was obtained through plasma sprayed nano-sized TiO2 powder. Its bonding strength onto Ti-6Al-4V substrate is high up to 38 MPa. At same time, we have successfully improved the bioactivity of plasma sprayed TiO2 coating with nanostructured surface using hydrogen ion implantation and UV illumination. Bone-like apatite can form on the surface of the post-treated TiO2 coatings after they are soaked in simulated body fluid for a period. Introduction of surface bioactivity (bone conductivity) to plasma-sprayed TiO2 coatings which are generally recognized to have excellent biocompatibility and corrosion resistance as well as high bonding to titanium alloys makes them more superior than many current biomedical coatings such as plasma-sprayed hydroxyapatite.
Summary: In this work, the bioactivity was intrduced into plasma sprayed TiO2 coating with nanostructured surface using post-treatment, including hydrogen implantation and UV illumination.
