MgF2-coated porous magnesium/alumina scaffolds with improved strength, corrosion resistance, and biological performance for biomedical applications

Porous magnesium (Mg) has recently emerged as a promising biodegradable alternative to biometal for bone ingrowth; however, its low mechanical properties and high corrosion rate in biological environments remain problematic. In this study, porous magnesium was implemented in a scaffold that closely mimics the mechanical properties of human bones with a controlled degradation rate and shows good biocompatibility to match the regeneration rate of bone tissue at the affected site. The alumina-reinforced Mg scaffold was produced by spark plasma sintering and coated with magnesium fluoride (MgF2) using a hydrofluoric acid solution to regulate the corrosion rate under physiological conditions. Sodium chloride granules (NaCl), acting as space holders, were leached out to achieve porous samples (60%) presenting an average pore size of 240 μm with complete pore interconnectivity. When the alumina content increased from 0 to 5 vol%, compressive strength and stiffness rose considerably from 9.5 to 13.8 MPa and from 0.24 to 0.40 GPa, respectively. Moreover, the biological response evaluated by in vitro cell test and blood test of the MgF2-coated porous Mg composite was enhanced with better corrosion resistance compared with that of uncoated counterparts. Consequently, MgF2-coated porous Mg/alumina composites may be applied in load-bearing biodegradable implants.