Study on Zn-doped antibacterial bioactive coatings on Ti6Al4V titanium alloy surfaces by micro-arc oxidation

To enhance the bioactivity and antibacterial activity of titanium alloys, coatings with different content of Zn element were successfully formed on Ti6Al4V substrates by micro-arc oxidation (MAO). The microstructure and composition of the coatings were characterized, and the bioactive and antibacterial activities were evaluated by the contact angle, cell viability and plate colony counting experiments, respectively. The results show that when Zn2+ concentration of the electrolytes rises, the breakdown voltage and the process voltage decrease, while the duration of the micro-arc oxidation stage increases. The products of MAO in the coatings are mainly rutile and anatase phases. As Zn2+ concentration in the electrolyte increases, the content of crystalline phases reduces, the thickness and the surface roughness of coatings increase, and the porosity shows an increase overall. MAO coatings bond tightly to the substrates, forming a thin, dense barrier layer and a thick, porous outer accumulation layer. The increase of Zn content results in an increase of Ca and P content in the coatings and a rise in Ca/P ratio. The concentrations of Ti, O, Ca and Zn elements on the cross-section show a transition distribution. Moreover, the hydrophilicity of all coatings is improved. Zn-doped coatings improve the cell viability of preosteoblast MC3T3-E1 cells and macrophage RAW264.7 cells, and higher cell viability is observed on the coatings with higher Zn concentration. Although the MAO coatings with low Zn content increase bacterial adhesion compared to the substrate, the coatings with high Zn content show adequate antibacterial activity.