Development of a versatile procedure for the biofunctionalization of Ti-6Al-4V implants

Abstract

HighlightsSurface of Ti-6Al-4V was functionalized by Activated Vapor Silanization (AVS). AVS is proven to be a reliable procedure for functionalizing Ti-6Al-4V samples. The functional layer was characterized by AFM and fluorescence microscopy. The cytocompatibility of the functionalized samples was assessed by cell cultures. The stability of the functional layer under physiological conditions was confirmed.3 Abstract Titanium (Ti) and titanium alloys are among the most-commonly used metallic materials for implantation in the human body for the purpose of replacing hard tissue. Although Ti and its alloys are widely used for such an aim, in implants of a long duration they exhibit some shortcomings due to the loosening of the very implant. This phenomenon is highly dependent on the interaction between the organic tissues and the surface of the implant. In this study, the authors introduce a surface treatment technique for functionalization of the surface of Ti-6Al-4V alloy with amino groups that could help to control this interaction. The functionalized layer was deposited by activated vapor silanization (AVS), which has been proven as a reliable and robust technique with other materials.The resulting biofunctional layers were characterized by atomic force microscopy and fluorescence microscopy, with the optimal conditions for the deposition of a homogeneous film with a high density of amino groups being determined. Additionally, the non-toxic nature and stability of the biofunctional layer were confirmed by cell culturing. The results show the formation of a homogeneous biofunctional amine layer on Ti-6Al-4V alloy that may be used as a platform for the subsequent covalent immobilization of proteins or other biomolecules.

Enhanced Biological Response of AVS-Functionalized Ti-6Al-4V Alloy through Covalent Immobilization of Collagen

“…Functionalization of Ti-6Al-4V substrates was performed using an Activated Vapor Silanization (AVS) equipment as described elsewhere 32 . Briefly, 3-Aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTS, Fluka) is put inside a closed chamber and evaporated.…”

“…For the functionalization of the substrates used in this study, the processing parameters were chosen as: T evap = 150 °C, T act = 750 °C, P Ar = 2mbar, t = 20 min. This choice of parameters was based on a previous study 32 that established the optimized functionalization conditions. This process results in a homogenous and dense amino-functionalized surface on Ti-6Al-4V substrates.…”

“…In this study, we use activated vapor silanization (AVS), a method developed by the authors that allows the surface functionalization of a wide range of materials 30 – 32 , in combination with the EDC/NHS chemistry to covalently immobilize collagen on Ti-6Al-4V samples. The covalently immobilized collagen is characterized and its stability on the surface demonstrated.…”

Modulation of Cell Response through the Covalent Binding of Fibronectin to Titanium Substrates

“…In the present study, a robust biofunctionalization procedure was developed to covalently bind fibronectin to the surface of a solid biomaterial. The procedure begins with the deposition of a thin functionalized layer on the surface of the Ti substrate using AVS [37,42]. The stability of the functionalized layer had been assessed in a previous work using nanoscratch tests [43].…”

“…The surfaces of the Ti substrates were initially amino-functionalized using the activated vapor silanization (AVS) method, following a previously described protocol [36,37]. Briefly, 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTS, Fluka, Madrid, Spain) is poured into a sealed compartment and evaporated at low vacuum.…”