Implanting a Copper Ion into a TiO Nanorod Array for the Investigation on the Synergistic Antibacterial Mechanism between Mechanical Cracking and Chemical Damage.

Titanium (Ti) and its alloys are extensively applied in dental and orthopedic implants due to their characteristics of good mechanical property and corrosion resistance. However, Ti and its alloys suffer from the absence of certain biological activity and antibacterial ability. Herein, we synthesized a titanium dioxide (TiO) nanorod array on the surface of a Ti plate, and the obtained TiO nanorod array was further modified by Cu ions through ion implantation technology in an attempt to endow medical Ti with an antibacterial ability and maintain a normal biological function synchronously. The antibacterial ability of the TiO nanorod array with the incorporation of Cu ions was vastly improved compared with those of the unmodified TiO nanorod array and pure Ti. In particular, owing to the synergy between the chemical damage of the released Cu to the cell and the mechanical cracking of the TiO nanorod array, the antibacterial rate of the TiO nanorod array modified by Cu ions against or could reach 99%. In addition, no cytotoxicity was detected in such prepared coating during the CCK-8 assay. Moreover, the corrosion resistance of the sample was significantly better than that of pure Ti. Overall, we demonstrated that the application of ion implantation technology could open up a promising pathway to design and develop further antibacterial material for the biomedical domain.