Copper-chitosan nanoparticles incorporated PGS/MAO bilayer coatings for potential cardiovascular application

This study aims to develop bilayer copper-chitosan nanoparticles (Cu-Ch NPs) incorporated polyglycerol sebacate (PGS)/ micro-arc oxidation (MAO) (MAO-PGS/Cu-Ch NPs) coating for the cardiovascular application. Moreover, the effects of Cu-Ch NP concentrations (1, 3, and 5 wt%) on the physical, chemical, electrochemical, and biological properties of AZ91 substrate are discussed. Microstructural studies show the successful incorporation of Cu-Ch NPs in the PGS coatings using a simple electrospray process, improving surface wettability and roughness. The results of the potentiodynamic polarization test in phosphate buffer saline (PBS) indicate that the highest corrosion resistance (Icorr = 20 nA/cm2, Ecorr = -1.22 V) is obtained by adding 5 wt% Cu-Ch NPs. NO release evaluation shows while the burst release occurrs in the early hours, the extended-release happens after 12 h. Moreover, the increase in the Cu-Ch NP concentration reduces the platelet adhesion, showing the appropriate hemocompatibility of coatings. In addition, the attachment and proliferation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) improve by increasing the concentration of Cu-Ch NPs within the bilayer coating. Taken together, MAO-PGS/Cu-Ch NPs coating with appropriate surface properties, corrosion resistance, cytocompatibility and hemocompatibility, demonstrates the potential application for cardiovascular implants.