Construction of Chi(Zn/BMP2)/HA composite coating on AZ31B magnesium alloy surface to improve the corrosion resistance and biocompatibility

As biodegradable orthopedic implant materials, magnesium alloys have been attracted enough attentions recently. However, too fast degradation in vivo, limited biocompatibilities, and insufficient antibacterial proper-ties are three main challenges at present. In order to solve these problems, a multifunctional composite coating of Chi(Zn/BMP2)/HA was constructed on AZ31B magnesium alloy surface, successively by the alkali heating treatment, self-assembly of 16-phosphonyl-hexadecanoic acid, in situ immobilization of Chi(Zn/BMP2) (chitosan, zinc ions, and bone morphogenetic protein 2), and the deposition of HA (hydroxyapatite). The results of ATR-FTIR (attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectrum) spectra and elemental compositions confirmed that 16-phosphonyl-hexa-decanoic acid, Chi(Zn/BMP2), and HA were successfully immobilized on the surface. Compared with Mg, Mg-OH, Mg-16, and Mg-Chi(Zn/BMP2), Mg-Chi(Zn/BMP2)/HA with the concave-convex structure surface significantly enhanced the hydrophilicity and corrosion resistance. On the other hand, Mg-Chi(Zn/BMP2)/HA coating also showed excel-lent biocompatibilities, which not only significantly pro-moted the osteoblast adhesion and proliferation, but also upregulated ALP and OCN expression of osteoblasts. Furthermore, due to the synergistic antibacterial effect of zinc ions and chitosan, Mg-Chi(Zn/BMP2)/HA showed a good antibacterial property against Escherichia coli (E. coli). Therefore, it can be said that the method used in this work has a good application prospect in improving the corrosion resistance, biocompatibility of magnesium alloys, and inhibiting infections against E. coli.

Automated summary

By constructing a multifunctional composite coating on AZ31B magnesium alloy surface, the study successfully enhanced the hydrophilicity and corrosion resistance of the material, improved biocompatibility, and inhibited infections caused by Escherichia coli (E. coli).