Herein,
the cytocompatibility of selected MAX phases, Ti3AlC2, Ti3SiC2, and Ti2AlN, were
systematically evaluated using in vitro tests for
the first time. These phases were anoxic to preosteoblasts
and fibroblasts. Compared with the strong viable fibroblasts, the
different cellular responses of these materials were clearly distinguishable
for the preosteoblasts. Under an osteoblastic environment, Ti2AlN exhibited better cell proliferation and differentiation
performance than Ti3AlC2 and Ti3SiC2. Moreover, the performance was superior to that of a commercial
Ti–6Al–4V alloy and comparable to that of pure Ti. A
possible mechanism was suggested based on the different surface oxidation
products, which were determined from the binding energy of adsorbed
Ca2+ ions using first-principles calculations. Compared
with the partially oxidized TiC
x
O
y
layer on Ti3AlC2 and
Ti3SiC2, the partially oxidized TiN
x
O
y
layer on the Ti2AlN had a stronger affinity to the Ca2+ ions, which
indicated the good cytocompatibility of Ti2AlN.