Biocompatibility, osseointegration, antibacterial and mechanical properties of nanocrystalline Ti-Cu alloy as a new orthopedic material

The demands for high-performance biomaterials are driving the development of new metallic alloys with improved mechanical and biological responses. In this study, a nanocrystalline Ti-Cu intermetallic alloy was prepared by a powder metallurgy route, and its application as an orthopedic material was evaluated by the microstructural, mechanical, corrosion, antibacterial, cytotoxicity and osseointegration examinations. Microstructural characterization revealed the formation of TiCu and Ti2Cu3 as major phases with 23 nm grain size in the structure of the alloy. The synthesized alloy exhibited ultra-high hardness of 10 GPa, acceptable toughness of 8.14 MPam(1/2), a similar to 98 % anti-bacterial rate against S. aureus and E. coli, excellent cell viability to MG-63 osteosarcoma cells, and high osteoblast formation rate, which indicate a great potential of this alloy for biomedical application.