Radially arrayed nanopillar formation on metallic stent wire surface via radio-frequency plasma

MP35N (Co–Ni–Cr–Mo alloy) is an important stent implant material for which many aspects, that include nanostructured surfaces, are yet to be understood. The present study provides the first creation of radially emanating metallic nanopillar structures on the surface of MP35N stent alloy wires; a novel textured surface structuring derived via controlled RF processing technique. The goal of this study was to characterize the newly found structures, identify evolution stages of nanopillar formations, as well as optimize RF process parameters for controlled surface texturing technique for stent wire materials. The exposure of a stent alloy wire, 250 μm diameter Co–Ni–Cr–Mo alloy (MP35N), to parameter-controlled RF environment resulted in dense surface nanostructures consisting of high-aspect-ratio dendritic nanopillars/nanowires. Extensive surface characterization and local compositional analyses by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) show increased values of Mo contents on the outer edges of protruding nanopillars, indicating a possibility of the higher Mo content phase contributing to the differential plasma sputter etching on the MP35N surface and resultant nanowire formation. A comparative investigation on single phase alloy versus multi-phase alloy seems to point to the importance of phase segregation for successful nanowire formation by RF plasma treatment. In addition to MP35N, some specific single phased materials, such as Fe–Ni and Fe–Cr alloys or Pt metal wire, were exposed in same RF plasma conditions and results did not form the complex structures found on MP35N samples. For the purpose of this study, metallic stent wires that have nanostructured surfaces can be considered a “polymer-less” approach to surface modification, The creation and characterization of radially arrayed nanostructured surfaces has been demonstrated on MP35N stent alloy wires using this RF plasma process; where such nanostructured surfaces contribute to design concepts that may enhance endotheliazation of stent materials via surface texturing modification.