Chitosan-bioglass coatings on partially nanostructured anodized Ti-6Al-4V alloy for biomedical applications

In this investigation we report the fabrication of composite coatings with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), bioactive 45S5 Bioglass (R) (45S5 BG) and the polysaccharide chitosan (CTS) by voltage-pulsed (VP) and voltage-constant (VC) electrophoretic deposition (EPD) on Ti-6Al-4V anodized surfaces. AgNPs were synthesized by chemical reduction and subsequently added to a CTS-45S5 BG suspension. Electrochemical anodization of the alloy produced titanium dioxide nanotubes (TiO2 NTBs) which offered nanoarchitecture on the substrate, promoting the apatite growth and generating a suitable microenvironment for macrophages. The different microstructures of the coatings produced with VP and VC affected the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and nitric oxide (NO) production from murine macrophages cultured on the coatings. These results initially help assess the biocoating's microstructure and chemical composition as a suitable implant.