Niobo-phosphate bioactive glass films produced by pulsed laser deposition on titanium surfaces for improved cell adhesion

Abstract Implant bioactivity is related to its ability to stimulate the adjacent bone tissue to create strong and direct chemical bonds with its surface, reducing implant failure and total rehabilitation time. Surface treatments are a way to obtain such surface properties. In this work, niobo-phosphate bioactive glass thin films were produced by pulsed laser deposition with two different laser pulse energies (50 and 100 mJ). The chemical composition, crystallinity, surface morphology, and wettability of the films was investigated. In addition, proliferation and cell morphology tests were also performed to evaluate the cell behaviour and cell-surface interaction with these coatings in comparison with pure titanium surface. The deposited films presented an amorphous structure. Target and films showed the same chemical composition. Coated surface showed higher wettability, with lower contact angles, suggesting a hydrophilicity of the samples. In vitro assays presented an increase in the cell number after the first 48 h at the surface coated with higher energy (100 mJ) and a better cell morphology, when focal contact points, cell size and organization of the stress fibers were taking into account. As a conclusion, same chemical composition was observed at target and films and also could be suggested that the coated surfaces, especially the ones with higher energy presented better surface properties and cellular behaviour than the control samples.