A titanium surface modified with zinc-containing nanowires: Enhancing biocompatibility and antibacterial property in vitro

This study aimed to generate a titanium surface modified with zinc-containing nanowires and explore its enhancements in both biocompatibility and antibacterial property. Acid etching was used to prepare a micro-rough titanium surface. Nanowires were then synthesized on this pre-treated microstructured surface via a treatment with a NaOH solution in a 70 degrees C water bath. The resultant nanowires-modified titanium surface (Ti-NW) was then subjected to a second treatment with a ZnSO4 solution in a 70 degrees C water bath, resulting in zinc (Zn) deposition in the nanowires. This approach yielded a modified titanium surface with Zn-containing nanowires (TiNW-Zn). In addition, the control titanium surface was prepared via sandblasting with large-grit and acid etching (Ti-SLA), which is commonly used for dental implants. Afterwards, the properties of these surfaces were examined, including topography, roughness, wettability, elemental composition, metallurgical phase, and Zn ion release. The abilities of adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells on these surfaces were investigated, as well as their antibacterial properties in the context of oral microorganisms of Staphylococcus aureus, Potphyromonas gingivalis, and Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans. The modified titanium surface (TiNW-Zn) was successfully prepared and appeared as Zn-containing nanowire networks with high hydrophilicity. The Ti-NW-Zn surface was able to continuously release Zn ions. Furthermore, the results of in vitro study showed that the Ti-NW-Zn surface up-regulated cell adhesion, proliferation, osteogenic differentiation. Meanwhile, the Ti-NW-Zn surface possessed satisfactory antibacterial effectiveness in vitro. Relative to conventional SLA titanium surface, the Zn-containing nanowires-modified titanium surface exhibited significant improvements in both osteocompatibility and antibacterial activity against oral microorganisms.