Preparation and characterization of crystallized and relaxed amorphous Mg-Zn-Ca alloy ribbons for nerve regeneration application

For the purpose of developing biodegradable magnesium alloys with suitable properties for biomedical applications, Mg-based metallic glasses have attracted significant attention as a new class of biodegradable metals due to their excellent corrosion resistance. In this study, Mg70Zn26Ca4 (in atomic percent) metallic glass ribbon was prepared by melt spinning and structural characteristics were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction. For biocorrosion evaluations, two relaxed and crystallized ribbons were prepared from heat treatment of as-quenched ribbon. 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was used for investigating cytotoxicity of ribbons with Schwann cells for their potential application in nerve regeneration. Relaxed ribbon showed better biocorrosion resistance and biocompatibility than that of crystallized ribbon. Results showed Mg-based metallic glass can be potentially promising candidates for application in nerve tissue regeneration.