TiO2NTs bio-inspired coatings: revisiting electrochemical, morphological, structural, and mechanical properties

By altering some synthesis variables, the morphology and structural properties of anodic TiO2 nanotube arrays (TiO2NTs) can be tailored to a specific application. This study aims to investigate the effect of electrolyte-containing ions from human plasma and annealing temperature on structural, morphological, and mechanical parameters of TiO2NTs films, targeting its potential biomedical applications. Bio-inspired TiO2NTs were grown from Ti-cp and its Ti6Al4V alloy by potentiostatic anodization in the recently developed SBF-based electrolyte, maintained at 10 degrees C and 40 degrees C. The thermal investigation was performed by TGA/DSC and used to define the phase transition temperatures used for annealing (450 degrees C and 650 degrees C). Morphological and structural parameters were evaluated by FE-SEM, XRD, contact angle measurements, and nanoindentation. Results show that self-organized as-formed TiO2NTs were grown under all synthesis conditions with different wettability profiles for each substrate group. At 450 degrees C annealing temperature, the beginning of nanostructures collapse starts, becoming evident at 650 degrees C. The nanoindentation characterization reveals that both electrolyte and thermal annealing exhibited low effects on the hardness and Young's modulus. The tailoring of specific properties by different synthesis conditions could allow the individualization of treatments and better performance in vivo.

Automated summary

By altering synthesis variables, the morphology and structural properties of TiO2 nanotube arrays can be tailored for specific applications. This study investigated the effects of electrolyte-containing ions and annealing temperature on the structural, morphological, and mechanical parameters of TiO2 films for potential biomedical applications. The results showed that different synthesis conditions led to variations in the morphology and structure of TiO2 nanotube arrays. Annealing temperature affected the stability of nanostructures, but had limited effects on hardness and Young's modulus. The ability to tailor specific properties through synthesis conditions could enable personalized treatments and improved in vivo performance.