Immobilization of bisphosphonates on nanostructured surface films of TiO2 and hydroxyapatite

Abstract

Metallic titanium and its alloys are widely used as implants in the biomedical industry. However, there are still open questions about its biocompatibility, which is directly related with the surface characteristics of the material. Thus, covering the implant with an oxide or hydroxyapatite is one of the ways to change its surface properties as wettability, roughness, surface energy, which are directly related to the biocompatibility of the material. This project is part of a multidisciplinary context in the areas of materials science and engineering and aims to contribute to the literature about the physico-chemical surface properties of TiO2 and hydroxyapatite, functionalized surfaces with bisphosphonates for biomedical applications. The choice of this compound is due to its large use and good performance on the treatment of bone diseases. Solutions of titanium dioxide (TiO2) and hydroxyapatite (HA), will be synthesized by the sol-gel method and later combined to obtain a composite. These three solutions (TiO2, HA and TiO2 + HA) will be used for the coating of titanium commercially pure grade IV by spin-coating method. Finally, the surfaces will be functionalized by immersion in solutions containing bisphosphonates. The surfaces will be characterized by different techniques such as MEV, XPS, AFM, XRD and contact angle. In order to evaluate the biocompatibility, cell viability, ALP and mineralization tests will be performed. (AU)