TY - JOUR
T1 - Contact Guidance Effect and Prevention of Microfouling on a Beta Titanium Alloy Surface Structured by Electron-Beam Technology
AU - Ferraris, Sara
AU - Warchomicka, Fernando Gustavo
AU - Barberi, Jacopo
AU - Cochis, Andrea
AU - Calogero Scalia, Alessandro
AU - Spriano, Silvia
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
PY - 2021/6/2
Y1 - 2021/6/2
N2 - Nano- and micro-structuring of implantable materials constitute a promising approach to introduce mechanical contact guidance effect, drive cells colonization, as well as to prevent bacteria adhesion and biofilm aggregation, through antifouling topography. Accordingly, this paper aims to extend the application of e-beam surface texturing and nano-structuring to the beta titanium alloys, which are of great interest for biomedical implants because of the low Young modulus and the reduction of the stress shielding effect. The paper shows that surface texturing on the micro-scale (micro-grooves) is functional to a contact guidance effect on gingival fibroblasts. Moreover, nano-structuring, derived from the e-beam surface treatment, is effective to prevent microfouling. In fact, human fibroblasts were cultivated directly onto grooved specimens showing to sense the surface micro-structure thus spreading following the grooves’ orientation. Moreover, Staphylococcus aureus colonies adhesion was prevented by the nano-topographies in comparison to the mirror-polished control, thus demonstrating promising antifouling properties. Furthermore, the research goes into detail to understand the mechanism of microfouling prevention due to nano-topography and microstructure.
AB - Nano- and micro-structuring of implantable materials constitute a promising approach to introduce mechanical contact guidance effect, drive cells colonization, as well as to prevent bacteria adhesion and biofilm aggregation, through antifouling topography. Accordingly, this paper aims to extend the application of e-beam surface texturing and nano-structuring to the beta titanium alloys, which are of great interest for biomedical implants because of the low Young modulus and the reduction of the stress shielding effect. The paper shows that surface texturing on the micro-scale (micro-grooves) is functional to a contact guidance effect on gingival fibroblasts. Moreover, nano-structuring, derived from the e-beam surface treatment, is effective to prevent microfouling. In fact, human fibroblasts were cultivated directly onto grooved specimens showing to sense the surface micro-structure thus spreading following the grooves’ orientation. Moreover, Staphylococcus aureus colonies adhesion was prevented by the nano-topographies in comparison to the mirror-polished control, thus demonstrating promising antifouling properties. Furthermore, the research goes into detail to understand the mechanism of microfouling prevention due to nano-topography and microstructure.
KW - Titanium alloys
KW - surface modification
KW - Electron beam structuring
KW - nanotopography
KW - Biofilm
KW - antifouling
KW - Surface modification
KW - Nano-topography
KW - Antifouling
KW - Beta titanium alloys
KW - Electron beam technique
KW - Ti15Mo
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/11/6/1474
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85106969739&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.3390/nano11061474
DO - https://doi.org/10.3390/nano11061474
M3 - Article
SN - 2079-4991
VL - 11
SP - 1
EP - 13
JO - Nanomaterials
JF - Nanomaterials
IS - 6
M1 - 1474
ER -