Corrosion and biocompatibility behaviour of zirconia coating by EBPVD for biomedical applications

In the present study, zirconia (ZrO2) film was deposited onto 316L SS substrate by electron beam physical vapour deposition (EBPVD) technique. The microstructure of the ZrO2 film was studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Hydrophilic nature was observed on ZrO2 coated film and least hydrophilic behaviour was found on bare 316L SS substrate. The bacterial adhesion test was performed against Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) and revealed that ZrO2 film protects the bacterial adhesion on its surface. In-vitro cytotoxicity and biocompatibility behaviour of ZrO2 film were investigated using fibroblast cell line, which exhibited high degree of cell viability and proliferation rate rather than bare 316L SS substrate. Electrochemical studies were performed in acidulated artificial saliva (AS) solution containing 0.2% and 2% of sodium fluoride (NaF). The results revealed that ZrO2 coated 316L SS showed excellent corrosion resistant behaviour and can be considered as a potential bioimplant for dental applications.