Electrochemical synthesis of a composite coating with antibacterial ability on NiTi alloy

This study aims to deposit silver on a porous oxide film on NiTi alloy using a hybrid method by employing microarc oxidation, followed by electrochemical deposition. Silver clusters of micrometer size and dendritic shape were formed, when the electrochemical deposition process was performed in a silver acetate solution. Silver acetate solution with collagen was used as the electrolyte during the electrochemical deposition process. Addition of collagen into the electrolyte decreased the silver amounts and size and improved the uniformity of distribution of silver. Furthermore, the electrolyte with collagen (0.5 g/L collagen) was more effective in decreasing the silver deposition rate than that without collagen. The results demonstrated that the silver-contained surfaces, both with and without collagen, can effectively prevent the adhesion and proliferation of Escherichia coli.