Ternary Ti alloys functionalised with antibacterial activity.

Prosthesis bacterial infection occurring during surgery is a rising health issue. Pathogenic bacterial infection causes inflammation, interferes with the healing process, inhibits osteogenesis and, eventually, leads to implant failure. These issues can be tackled either by applying coatings or developing multifunctional (i.e. structural and antibacterial) materials. In this work, β eutectoid bearing functionalised Ti alloys were designed and manufactured via the cost-effective press and sinter powder metallurgy route. The systematic analysis of the ternary Ti-xCu-yMn alloys shows that the mechanical properties proportionally increase with the amount of alloying elements added. All the ternary Ti-xCu-yMn alloys have strong antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli with respect to the negative control (i.e. pure Ti). Our study demonstrates that ternary Ti-xCu-yMn alloys are promising candidates for structural prostheses functionalised with antibacterial capability.