Preparation and characterization of a drug vehicle: Polymer brush immobilized Ag nanoparticles onto titanium nanotubes

• Polymers grafting from TiO2 nanotubes surface is synthesized.
• The composite improves the TiO2 NTs storage capacity.
• The composite allows Ag ions release in a controlled manner.
• The in vitro experiments show the composite has a good cell proliferation.

Bacterial infection has been identified as one of the major causes of titanium implant failures. In this study, a novel antibiotic vehicle composite, TiO2NT–PSPMA, was synthesized via atom transfer radical polymerization; this method improved the local antibiotic concentration and prolonged its sustainable release by loading larger amounts of antibiotic into titania nanotubes (TiO2 NTs) arrayed on Ti implants. Ag nanoparticles (NPs) were loaded into TiO2 NTs with the assistance of the ionic polymer 3-sulfopropyl methacrylate potassium salt (PSPMA). This composite increased the storage of Ag NPs by employing nanotubes and using PSPMA to trap larger amounts Ag NPs. The in vitro experiments showed that the composite had a dose-dependent cell proliferation by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT), indicating that the composite has the potential to prevent the devastating consequences of implant infection.