Osteoconductive element-doped, porous, and low-elastic-modulus duplex coatings on a Ti-6Al-4 V alloy: A hybrid coating system for accelerating cell growth

Here, porous, hydrophilic, and low-elastic-modulus bioactive coatings were fabricated on a Ti-6Al-4 V alloy by a duplex treatment of plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO), followed by radiofrequency magnetron sputtering (RF-MS). The PEO oxide layer was doped with an osteoconductive bioinorganic element, Zn, to enhance its biological performance. Detailed morphological, chemical, and phase analyses were performed on the coatings. The TiO2/hydroxyapatite coatings exhibited excellent hydrophilicity, owing to their porous morphology. A high defect density was induced under high process conditions. Porous columnar growth was observed on the Zn layer. MC3T3-E1 cell studies indicated that minimal Zn concentrations promoted high cell proliferation.(c) 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.