Bioactivity and hemocompatibility study of amorphous hydrogenated carbon coatings produced by pulsed magnetron discharge

Abstract

Literature contains very few data about the potential biomedical application of amorphous hydrogenated carbon (a-C:H) thin films deposited by reactive pulsed magnetron discharge even so it is one of the most scalable plasma deposition technique. In this article, we show that such a C2H2 pulsed magnetron plasma produces high quality coating with good hemocompatibility and bioactive response: no effect on hemolysis and hemostasis were observed, and proliferation of various cell types such as endothelial, fibroblast, and osteoblast-like cells was not affected when the deposition conditions were varied. Cell growth on a-C:H coatings is proposed to take place by a two-step process: the initial cell contact is affected by the smooth topography of the a-C:H coatings, whereas the polymeric-like structure, together with a moderate hydrophilicity and a high hydrogen content, directs the posterior cell spreading while preserving the hemocompatible behavior.

Structure and properties of composite surface layers produced on NiTi shape memory alloy by a hybrid method

“…Karagkiozaki et al [ 39 ] noted an increase in the hemocompatibility properties for rougher a-CH coating surfaces and for coatings with carbon nanotubes [ 41 ]. In contrast, Lopez-Santos et al [ 37 ] observed enhanced platelet adhesion on surfaces with increased roughness. They associated it with albumin adsorption which, in their opinion, is facilitated on smoother surfaces and which in turn inhibits platelet adhesion.…”

“…Carbon-based coatings are singled out as being capable of providing good hemocompatibility and reduce blood clotting in particular. The most commonly produced coatings include: a-CH type amorphous carbon coatings [ 37 – 39 ], nanocrystalline diamond coatings [ 40 ] and carbon nanotubes [ 39 ]. Presumably, chemical composition plays a major role in reducing platelet adhesion.…”

“…Among other surface topography, especially in nanoscale is important feature that influences cell-material interaction [ 37 , 39 , 41 ]. Its effect on platelet adhesion and aggregation is a complex issue, and literature reports still do not indicate, which topography is most optimal for obtaining a non-thrombogenic surface.…”

Effects of nanotopography on the in vitro hemocompatibility of nanocrystalline diamond coatings

“…Since thrombosis is initiated at the blood–material interface, surface engineering methods are promising techniques for improving device blood compatibility and reducing device‐related thrombosis. Carbon‐based materials such as pyrolytic carbon, diamond‐like carbon, graphene, graphite, and nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) have been investigated as coatings to enhance blood–material interactions in cardiovascular devices . NCD coatings are of particular interest for blood‐contacting devices due to their high corrosion resistance, mechanical robustness, high wear resistance, good substrate adhesion, and excellent biocompatibility .…”

“…Carbon-based materials such as pyrolytic carbon, diamond-like carbon, graphene, graphite, and nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) have been investigated as coatings to enhance blood-material interactions in cardiovascular devices. [9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16] NCD coatings are of particular interest for blood-contacting devices due to their high corrosion resistance, mechanical robustness, high wear resistance, good substrate adhesion, and excellent biocompatibility. [17][18][19] Additional Supporting Information may be found in the online version of this article.…”