Development of Ce3+/Eu3+ Dual-Substituted Hydroxyapatite Coating on Surgical Grade Stainless Steel for Improved Antimicrobial and Bioactive Properties

The research goal of this experiment is a successful electrodeposition of cerium/europium substituted hydroxyapatite (Ce/Eu-HAP) on borate-passivated 316L stainless steel (SS). The surface characteristics of the resultant coatings were evaluated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray analysis. The electrochemical characterization of all the coatings was studied in Ringers solution, in which Ce/Eu-HAP coating exhibited better anticorrosion property than the other developed coatings. The metal ion release from the coatings was studied by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. With regards to antimicrobial activity against E. coli, the Ce/Eu-HAP coating exhibited high resistivity compared with the other developed coatings. The resultant coatings exhibited lower cytotoxicity against human osteosarcoma MG63 cells at various incubation days, which evidence the better bioactive nature of the coatings. Thus, the dual-minerals-substituted HAP coating can play a significant role in biomedical applications.