Vacuum arc plasma deposition of thin titanium dioxide films on silicone elastomer as a functional coating for medical applications

- Vacuum arc plasma was applied to deposit titanium dioxide films onto silicone.
- Thickness, roughness and composition of the films were determined.
- Cytocompatibility of coated silicone elastomer is greatly improved.
- Films have good adhesion to the substrate and are stable, non-toxic and sterilizable.

Silicone elastomer is a promising material for medical applications and is widely used for implants with blood and tissue contact. However, its strong hydrophobicity limits adhesion of tissue cells to silicone surfaces, which can impair the healing process. To improve the biological properties of silicone, a triggerless pulsed vacuum cathodic arc plasma deposition technique was applied to deposit titanium dioxide (TiO2) films onto the surface. Scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and contact angle measurements were used for coating characterization. Deposited films were about 150 nm thick and exhibited good adhesion to the underlying silicone substrate. Surface wettability and roughness both increased after deposition of the TiO2 layer. In addition, cell-biological investigations demonstrated that the in-vitro cytocompatibility of TiO2-coated samples was greatly improved without impacting silicone's nontoxicity. For validation of use in medical devices, further investigations were conducted and demonstrated stability of surface properties in an aqueous environment for a period of 68 days and the coating's resistance to several sterilization methods.