Tuning electrolyte aging in titanium anodization to fabricate nano-engineered implants

Anodization is well researched to nano-engineer Ti to fabricate TiO2 nanotubes/nanopores for varied applications, including biomedical implants. For the fabrication of reproducible and stable nanotubes/nanopores, the use of aged (few hours used) organic electrolyte to anodize Ti is recognized and practised. However, the electrolyte aging phenomenon remains poorly understood. In this study, we tune anodization voltage, time and anode area, to categorically understand the influence of each in electrolyte aging that fabricates robust and ordered titania nanopores (TNPs) on micro-rough Ti. Briefly, various aged electrolytes were used to fabricate TNPs on micro-rough Ti that were characterized (topography, roughness, hydrophilicity, mechanical strength and protein adhesion capacity) to determine the most influential electrolyte aging conditions. The study revealed that increased Ti-anode size, anodization voltage and time during aging contribute to enhanced free F consumption and Ti accumulation in the electrolytes, reducing their conductivity. Ideal electrolyte aging characteristics including Ti/F ion concentration and conductivity range were identified to aid in single-step electrolyte aging that yielded well-ordered TNPs with desirable wettability and protein adhesion capacity, representing favorable implant modification. This electrolyte aging optimization paves the way for future advances in this domain.

Automated summary

This study investigates the influence of electrolyte aging on the fabrication and properties of TiO2 nanotubes/nanopores. The results identify the optimal electrolyte aging conditions for producing well-ordered nanotubes/nanopores, which can enhance the performance of biomedical implants.