Improving biocompatibility of titanium alloy scaffolds by calcium incorporated silicalite-1 coatings

Zeolite coatings with excellent biocompatibility have been developed on Ti6Al4V alloys to improve their bioactive and corrosion resistance. In this work, pure silica zeolite silicalite-1 without harmful ions (Al and V) was prepared on titanium alloy scaffolds by secondary growth method. The obtained coatings were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), water contact angle measurement, and corrosion resistance measurements. Silicalite-1 coatings significantly enhanced the attachment and proliferation of rabbit bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. Additionally, the alizarin red staining showed that calcium incorporated silicalite-1 coatings promote the formation of mineralized nodules. More importantly, silicalite-1 coatings can be also modified on the third-generation titanium alloys, exhibiting excellent application prospect in biomedical field.