Biological Activity and Antibacterial Property of Nano-structured TiO2 Coating Incorporated with Cu Prepared by Micro-arc Oxidation

Micro-arc oxidized Cu-incorporated TiO2 coatings (Cu-TiO2) were prepared in the Ca, P. Cu-containing electrolyte to obtain an implant material with superior biological activity and antibacterial property. The surface topography, phase, and element composition of the TiO2 and Cu-TiO2 coatings were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS), respectively. Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) was selected to evaluate the antibacterial property of the Cu-TiO2 coatings, whereas osteoblastic MG63 cells were cultured on the coatings to investigate the biological activity. The obtained results demonstrated that Cu element was successfully incorporated into the porous nano-structured TiO2 coatings, which did not alter apparently the surface topography and phase composition of the coatings as compared to the Cu-free TiO2 coatings. Moreover, the antibacterial studies suggested that the Cu-incorporated TiO2 coatings could significantly inhibit the adhesion of S. aureus. In addition, the in vitro biological evaluation displayed that the adhesion, proliferation and differentiation of MG63 cells on the Cu-incorporated coatings were enhanced as compared to those on the Cu-free coatings and Ti plates. In conclusion, the innovative Cu-incorporated nano-structured TiO2 coatings on Ti substrate with excellent antibacterial property and biological activity are promising candidates for orthopedic implant.