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We report a study on the biocompatibility vs. thickness in the case of titanium nitride (TiN) films synthesized on 410 medical grade stainless steel substrates by pulsed laser deposition. The films were grown in a nitrogen atmosphere, and their in vitro cytotoxicity was assessed according to ISO 10993-5 [1]. Extensive physical-chemical analyses have been carried out on the deposited structures with various thicknesses in order to explain the differences in biological behavior: profilometry, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction and surface energy measurements. XPS revealed the presence of titanium oxynitride beside TiN in amounts that vary with the film thickness. The cytocompatibility of films seems to be influenced by their TiN surface content. The thinner films seem to be more suitable for medical applications, due to the combined high values of bonding strength and superior cytocompatibility.

Abstract:In this work we try to address the large interest existing nowadays in the better understanding of the interaction between microbial biofilms and metallic implants. Our aimed was to identify a new preventive strategy to control drug release, biofilm formation and contamination of medical devices with microbes. The transfer and printing of novel bioactive glass-polymer-antibiotic composites by Matrix-Assisted Pulsed Laser Evaporation into uniform thin films onto 316 L stainless steel substrates of the type used in implants are reported. The targets were prepared by freezing in liquid nitrogen mixtures containing polymer and antibiotic reinforced with bioglass powder. The cryogenic targets were submitted to multipulse evaporation by irradiation with an UV KrF* (λ = 248 nm, τ FWHM ď 25 ns) excimer laser source. The prepared structures were analyzed by infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and profilometry, before and after immersion in physiological fluids. The bioactivity and the release of the antibiotic have been evaluated. We showed that the incorporated antibiotic underwent a gradually dissolution in physiological fluids thus supporting a high local treatment efficiency. Electrochemical measurements including linear sweep voltammetry and impedance spectroscopy studies were carried out to investigate the corrosion resistance of the coatings in physiological environments. The in vitro biocompatibility assay using the MG63 mammalian cell line revealed that the obtained nanostructured composite films are non-cytotoxic. The antimicrobial effect of the coatings was tested against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli strains, usually present in implant-associated infections. An anti-biofilm activity was evidenced, stronger against E. coli than the S. aureus strain. The results proved that the applied method allows for the fabrication of implantable biomaterials which shield metal ion release and possess increased biocompatibility and resistance to microbial colonization and biofilm growth.

A polyester fabric with rectangular openings was used as a sacrificial template for the guiding of a sub-micron sphere (polystyrene (PS) and silica) aqueous colloid self-assembly process during evaporation as a patterned colloidal crystal (PCC). This simple process is also a robust one, being less sensitive to external parameters (ambient pressure, temperature, humidity, vibrations). The most interesting feature of the concave-shape-pattern unit cell (350 μm × 400 μm × 3 μm) of this crystal is the presence of triangular prisms at its border, each prism having a one-dimensional sphere array at its top edge. The high-quality ordered single layer found inside of each unit cell presents the super-prism effect and left-handed behavior. Wider yet elongated deposits with ordered walls and disordered top surfaces were formed under the fabric knots. Rectangular patterning was obtained even for 20 μm PS spheres. Polyester fabrics with other opening geometries and sizes (~300–1000 μm) or with higher fiber elasticity also allowed the formation of similar PCCs, some having curved prismatic walls. A higher colloid concentration (10–20%) induces the formation of thicker walls with fiber-negative replica morphology. Additionally, thick-wall PCCs (~100 μm) with semi-cylindrical morphology were obtained using SiO2 sub-microspheres and a wavy fabric. The colloidal pattern was used as a lithographic mask for natural lithography and as a template for the synthesis of triangular-prism-shaped inverted opals.

Graphene oxide (GO) and reduced GO films with different amounts of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) have been deposited on quartz and silicon substrates by matrix assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE). The morphology, structure, chemical composition, and optical and electrochemical properties were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry, and cyclic voltammetry measurements. The properties of the films obtained with two types of GO precursors have been compared. A reduction of the amount of oxygen containing groups is observed with the increase of the Ag concentration, which leads to a decrease of the optical band gap. Moreover, the deposition in nitrogen gas ambience leads to the Ndoping of rGO material. The films obtained with the highest amount of Ag and with nitrogen doping show potential to be used in energy storage electrodes.