The effect of coated diamond-like carbon thin films on polymer tooth based denture: Micro-morphology and fractal feature studies

To consider improving the micromorphology study of dentures combined with biocompatibility in recent years, we study hybrid organic–inorganic materials and diamond-like carbon coated on tooth-based dentures by the sol–gel and the RF sputtering method, respectively. Afterward, the effect of such material coating on the surface roughness and surface topography of dentures was evaluated. Aimed at this, 3D atomic force microscope images were analyzed via MountainsMap® Premium software, which divided the surface into peaks and pits through the watershed segmentation algorithm. This method made motif analysis possible by detecting the surface dimensions, curvature, volume, perimeters, shape, structure, etc., and the obtained statistics indicate interesting results for the regular and irregular topography and the surface of the prepared samples. In addition, the energy-dispersive x-ray spectrum illustrates the existence of N, C, O, Na, and Si in all samples, with the maximum value of C in the diamond-like carbon coated sample, which is because of the highest value of carbon in diamond-like carbon. Scanning electron microscope images also present a series of grooves on the surface with small randomly oriented cracks. The linear interpolation type shows that the surface of diamond-like carbon coated on the hybrid-control sample has the most irregular topography while the most regular topography was found in the hybrid coated control sample.