The promoting effect of the TiO2 nano-porous arrays after polydopamine-based modification and Arg-Gly-Asp peptide immobilization on biomineralization and osteogenesis

TiO2 nano-porous arrays with appropriate structural parameters, roughness and wettability have application potential in implantable titanium-based (Ti-based) alloys. In this research, the polydopamine (PDA) and Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) peptide are adopted to construct a favorable osteogenic microenvironment on the anodized TiO2 nano-porous arrays before and after heat treatment. The characterization of surface morphologies and chemical compositions has been conducted to confirm the feasibility of the PDA-based modification and RGD peptide immobilization. Via immersion in the modified-simulated body fluid (m-SBF) for 7 days, the PDA-based modified samples have represented enhanced biomineralization performance. Moreover, the cell adhesion and prolifera-tion assay, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity assay and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assay in vitro have indicated that the heat-treated TiO2 nano-porous arrays modified with PDA and RGD peptide have endowed the seeded MC3T3-E1 mouse pre-osteoblasts with excellent osteogenic performance. Such modified TiO2 nano-porous arrays have great latent capacity in implantable materials for biomineralization and osteogenesis.

Automated summary

In this research, TiO2 nano-porous arrays modified with polydopamine (PDA) and Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) peptide were investigated for their potential application in implantable materials. The modified arrays were found to enhance biomineralization and exhibit excellent osteogenic performance, as confirmed by various characterization techniques and in vitro experiments. These findings highlight the great potential of such modified TiO2 nano-porous arrays in the field of biomineralization and osteogenesis.