Surface alloyed Ti–Zr layer constructed on titanium by Zr ion implantation for improving physicochemical and osteogenic properties

Titanium has been widely used as dental and orthopedic implant, while its corrosion resistance and osteogenic properties need to be further improved. Ti–Zr alloy is considered as one of promising titanium alloy with good corrosion resistance and biocompatibility. In this work, zirconium ions are implanted into the titanium surface by plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII) technology to construct Ti–Zr alloy layer on titanium surface with different proportions of Ti/Zr. The mechanical property, corrosion resistance and cytocompatibility of modified titanium were studied. Results indicated that Ti–Zr alloy layer on titanium exhibited good mechanical property and corrosion resistance. It could promote the cell spreading, proliferation, extracellular matrix (ECM) mineralization, and collagen secretion of rBMSCs. Besides, the zirconium ions released from different Ti–Zr alloy layers could promote the expressions of osteogenesis related genes, including alkaline phosphatase (ALP), type I collagen (Col-I), osteocalcin (OCN), osteopontin (OPN), and runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2). The study provides reference for the design of Ti–Zr alloys and the surface modification of titanium.