Construction of zinc-incorporated nano-network structures on a biomedical titanium surface to enhance bioactivity

Surface topography had been identified as a crucial property that affects osseointegration; thus, topographical modification was the most frequently adopted technique in titanium-based implant research. In this study, ethyl cellulose was employed as an additive to construct a zinc-incorporated nano-network layer onto a titanium surface by the sequential treatments of spin-coating, high-temperature calcination, and alkali heat corrosion. SEM results showed that 20 mg/mL of ethyl cellulose was optimal to fabricate a relatively flat porous coating, and the ideal nano-network structures formed by only 4 h of corrosion. Other results of XPS and ICP further proved that zinc ions were successfully incorporated into the final samples (Ti-Zn0.1, Ti-Zn0.3, and Ti-Zn0.4). Moreover, the in vitro cellular (e.g., CCK-8, ALP, mineralization) and bacterial assays presented that Ti-Zn0.3 substrates not only had the greatest proliferation and differentiation capacities for osteoblasts but also possessed relatively strong antibacterial abilities for both Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. This study provided a new way to rapidly construct the pro-osteogenesis and antibacterial nano-network structures on titanium surfaces for orthopedic application.