Fabrication of ZnO nanotube layer on Zn and evaluation of corrosion behavior and bioactivity in view of biodegradable applications

Biodegradable materials are of great interest for the development of temporary implants. While most works have focused on Mg-based materials, recently, zinc and zinc based alloys are attracting increasing attention in this field. In this work, large scale area of flower structure zinc oxide nanotube (ZnO NT) layers were manufactured on the surface of pure zinc via anodic oxidation. Surface morphology and composition were characterized with SEM, XRD and XPS. The length of ZnO NTs was approximately 18 mu m. Electrochemical tests in SBF solution showed that ZnO NT layers enhanced the electrochemical activity of pure zinc, from the perspective of degradation rate, the Zn/ZnO NT composite is more suitable for bone fixation compared with pure zinc. Immersion tests demonstrate that more Ca/P deposition occurs on the surface of ZnO NT samples, indicating a better biocompatibility compared with pure zinc. In addition, ZnO NTs have a large number of potential applications, such as use for drug release, or based on their catalytic and semiconductive properties.