Evaluation of corrosion resistant, antimicrobial and cytocompatible behaviour of cobalt based metallosurfactants self-assembled monolayers on 316L stainless steel surface

The present research is aimed at developing a more economic and ecological way to improve the biocompatibility of medical-grade stainless steel. In order to accomplish the purpose, the 316L stainless steel has been functionalized by depositing self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of cost-effective Cobalt-based metallosurfactants (CoMS). The fabrication of well-defined SAMs on the surfaces was characterised using FTIR-ATR, spectroscopic ellipsometry and water contact angle measurements. The corrosion stability of functionalized surfaces in simulated body fluid was accessed by various electrochemical and spectroscopic techniques like cyclic potentiodynamic polarisation (CPP), chronoamperometry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, FE-SEM, XPS and ICP-MS studies. The metallosurfactant SAMs provided superior corrosion and bacterial protection especially against Gram-negative E. coli bacteria. The cytotoxicity of the SAMs against mouse embryonic fibroblast cell line (NIH-3T3) was assessed by MTT and fluorescent assays. The experimental results reveals that the metallosurfactant SAMs are multifunctional i.e., they enhanced the anticorrosive and anti-bacterial properties of the SS 316L without compromising the cytocompatibility of the surface which make them promising candidates for biomedical applications.

Automated summary

The present research aims to develop a more economic and ecological way to improve the biocompatibility of medical-grade stainless steel. By functionalizing 316L stainless steel with self-assembled monolayers of cost-effective Cobalt-based metallosurfactants, superior corrosion and bacterial protection are provided without compromising the cytocompatibility of the surface, making them promising candidates for biomedical applications.