Biocompatibility, corrosion resistance and antibacterial activity of TiO2/CuO coating on titanium

In this work, TiO2/CuO coating was prepared on titanium (Ti) by combination of magnetron sputtering and annealing treatment. The microstructure, biocompatibility, corrosion resistance and antibacterial property of TiO2/CuO coating were investigated in comparison with pure Ti and TiO2 coating. The results show that TiO2/CuO coating is mainly composed of TiO2 and CuO. In vitro cytocompatibility evaluation suggests that no obvious toxicity appears on the TiO2/CuO coating, and the coating stimulates the osteoblast spreading and proliferation. Compared with Ti and TiO2 coating, TiO2/CuO coating exhibits improved corrosion resistance and antibacterial ability against S.aureus. This study is the first attempt to apply the combination of magnetron sputtering and annealing treatment to introduce the Cu into TiO2 coating for surface modification of Ti-based implant materials, which may provide a research foundation for further development of bioactive multifunctional coatings to meet the better clinical demand.