A Decade of Progress on MAO-Treated Tantalum Surfaces: Advances and Contributions for Biomedical Applications

Abstract

Micro-structured coatings with functional properties have been investigated due to a wide range of applications. It is known that micro-structures can play an important role in surface interactions determining the materials’ performance. Amongst the other materials, there has been an increasing interest in tantalum oxide (Ta2O5). This attention is mainly due to its variety of properties: biocompatibility and bioactivity; high dielectric constant; good thermal and chemical stability; excellent corrosion and mechanical resistance. Moreover, there is a wide range of applications in which the properties can be fitted. Furthermore, according to the final application, these properties can be enhanced or tailored through surface micro-structures manipulation. Due to this purpose, over the past decade, Ta surface modification by micro-arc oxidation (MAO) has been investigated mostly for biomedical applications. Therefore, this review focuses on Ta surface functionalization using the MAO technique. A clear understanding of the micro-discharge phenomena and the formation mechanism of a Ta2O5 anodic coating by MAO is supplied. The Ta2O5 coating morphology, topography, chemistry, and structure are explored, establishing their correlation with the MAO parameters. Additionally, an understanding of Ta2O5’s biological, mechanical, and electrochemical properties is provided and reviewed.

Progress of research on the surface functionalization of tantalum and porous tantalum in bone tissue engineering

“…This coating has excellent characteristics, such as reducing the stiffness and elastic modulus of the metal, endowing the metal with some corrosion and fatigue resistance, considerable thickness, high porosity, and a high concentration of electrolyte components [89][90][91]. These features can be controlled by adjusting the voltage, current density, and component addition during processing [92], figure 1. Krza˛kała et al reported on the application of this technique in the formation of bioactive surfaces on titanium and its alloys [84].…”

“…For example, Fialho et al characterized MAO-treated tantalum through a bioactivity analysis and showed that the oxide coating formed after the treatment of the tantalum surface by the MAO technique could greatly enhance apatite induction capacity, which increased with the applied voltage [92]. In addition, compared to pure tantalum, MAO-treated tantalum has been shown to have superior hydrophilicity and antimicrobial properties, offering better application potential [95].…”

Mechanical Properties, Biocompatibility and Antibacterial Behaviors of TaO0.2N0.8 and TaO0.2N0.8-Ag Nanocomposite Thin Coatings

“…The bio-chemical-physical surface interactions occurs between inorganic biomaterials and living cells is known to be the controlling factors [26][27][28]. Therefore, it is reasonable to manipulate surface coatings in order to make the best in terms of biocompatibility.…”

A novel porous titanium with engineered surface for bone defect repair in load‐bearing position

“…However, some surface modification methods reported recently, such as mussel inspired method, 19 ion implantation, 20 magnetron sputtering, 21 and plasma spraying 22 could not modify the composition and microstructure spontaneously and effectively. Micro arc oxidation (MAO) is an electric‐chemical surface modification method, which can generate a nanoporous coating on titanium and incorporate bioactive element on the surface of samples simultaneously 23 . By adding elements in the electrolytes, such as Ca, P, Sr, and Li, MAO can introduce hydroxyapatite (HA) and bioactive element‐containing coating on titanium 24,25 .…”

“…Micro arc oxidation (MAO) is an electric-chemical surface modification method, which can generate a nanoporous coating on titanium and incorporate bioactive element on the surface of samples simultaneously. 23 By adding elements in the electrolytes, such as Ca, P, Sr, and Li, MAO can introduce hydroxyapatite (HA) and bioactive element-containing coating on titanium. 24,25 Strontium, a trace element, is somehow like calcium, which is stored in bone and is thought to be beneficial for bone ingrowth.…”