Antibacterial and osteogenic thin films on Ti-6Al-4V surface formed by passivation process in copper hydroxide solution

Implant-associated infections are threatening and devastating complications that lead to bone destruction and loss. As a smooth surface is suitable for inhibiting bacterial adhesion, endowing antibacterial activity to the Ti surface without any structural changes in the surface topography is an effective strategy for preventing infection. The thin film on the Ti-6Al-4V surface was functionalized to endow antibacterial activity by immersion in a Cu(OH)2 solution. The resulting surface maintained the surface topography with a surface roughness of 0.03 μm even after the immersion in the Cu(OH)2 solution. Moreover, Cu was detected at approximately 10 atom% from the surface, and was present until a depth of 30 nm of thin film. In vitro experiments revealed that the resulting surface exhibited antibacterial activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and allowed the cellular proliferation, differentiation, and calcification of MC3T3-E1 cells. Furthermore, in vivo experiments determined that the presence of Cu in the thin film on the Ti-6Al-4V surface led to no inflammatory reactions, including bone resorption. Thus, immersion in a Cu(OH)2 solution incorporated and immobilized Cu into the thin film on the Ti-6Al-4V surface without any structural alternations in the surface topography, and the resulting smooth surface exhibited antibacterial activity and osteogenic cell compatibility without cytotoxicity or inflammatory reactions. Our findings provide fundamental insights into the surface design of Ti-based medical devices, to achieve bone reconstruction and infection prevention.