Electrophoretically deposited high molecular weight chitosan/bioactive glass composite coatings on WE43 magnesium alloy

Mg-based materials are good candidates for biodegradable bone regeneration implants due to their favorable mechanical properties and an excellent compatibility with human bone. However, too high corrosion/degradation rate in body fluids still limits their applicability. Coatings based on chitosan (CS) and bioactive glass (BG) particles fabricated by electrophoretic deposition (EPD) on Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM) pretreated magnesium alloys have promising potential to suppress the substrate corrosion and additionally to incorporate bioactivity. However, the impact of processing parameters or type of coating components on the long-term substrate corrosion behavior and cell response have not been investigated previously. In this study, two types of composite coatings based on a high molecular weight CS (M-w 340-360 kDa, DDA >= 95%) and embedded particles: solid BG (2 mu m) and a mixture of BG and mesoporous bioactive glass nanoparticles (MBGN, 100-300 nm with mesopores 2.3-5.6 nm) were fabricated by EPD on DMEM pre-treated WE43 magnesium alloy. It was found that partial replacement of BG particles with MBGN (ratio 3:1) in the composite coating increases the water contact angle, surface roughness and induces a positive cell response. Although the acidic CS-based solutions and applied EPD conditions may decrease the stability of the temporary barrier formed during the DMEM pre-treatment on WE43 substrate therewith slightly increasing its corrosion sensitivity, the composite coating with a mixture of different sizes of particles (BG, MBGN) is a promising candidate for bone regeneration applications.

Automated summary

Composite coatings based on chitosan and bioactive glass particles fabricated by electrophoretic deposition on pre-treated magnesium alloys show promising potential in bone regeneration applications by suppressing substrate corrosion and promoting cell response.