A multifunctional hybrid inorganic-organic coating fabricated on magnesium alloy surface with antiplatelet adhesion and antibacterial activities

Magnesium (Mg) alloy shows potential application in orthopedic operations owing to its biodegradability, biocompatibility and natural bone-like mechanical properties. However, its susceptibility to corrosion in the physiological environment and bacterial infection after implantation severely limits the clinical application of Mg alloy. In order to enhance the corrosion resistance and antibacterial activity of Mg alloy to meet specific requirements of orthopedic applications, multifunctional hybrid inorganic-organic coatings were rationally designed and fabricated on the surface of Mg alloy using MgO coating, ZnO nanorods (ZnONRs), and dextran sulfate sodium/lysozyme (DS/Lys) polyelectrolyte multilayer film. It was characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The resultant Mg-MgO-ZnONRs-(DS/Lys)(30) remarkably enhanced the corrosion resistance of Mg alloy by decreasing the corrosion current (i(corr)) in four orders of magnitude. The biological assays showed that compared with the pristine Mg alloy, Mg-MgO-ZnONRs-(DS/Lys)(30) exhibited good hemocompatibility and excellent antibacterial activity (> 99.9% against S. auerus and E. coli). This study provides a simple and effective way to modify the Mg alloy material as potential implant biomaterials and we anticipate this strategy will promote the broad application of Mg alloy in clinical trials.