The fabrication of Ag-containing hierarchical micro/nano-structure on titanium and its antibacterial activity

Bacterial infections and insufficient osseointegration are two frequent problems for biomedical titanium implants. To improve the antibacterial activity and bioactivity, many strategies have recently focused on the modification of the surface composition and topography of titanium. However, relatively few efforts have been made to further enhance the antibacterial activity of a hierarchical micro/nano-structure. In this work, Ag-containing hierarchical hybrid micro/nano-structure was formed on titanium surface by magnetron sputtering, micro-arc oxidation and hydrothermal treatment for the first time. The unique nanoscale petal-shaped structure was formed on the micro-structured TiO2 coating surface after hydrothermal treatment and uniformly distributed on the porous titanium surface. The resulting surface displays good antibacterial property against Escherichia coli (E. coli). The synthesis method is a viable approach for improving the surface property of titanium-based biomedical devices.