Functional Studies of Anodic Oxidized β-Ti-28Nb-11Ta-8Zr Alloy for Mechanical, In-vitro and Antibacterial Capability

We developed an osseocompatible β-type Ti-28Nb-11Ta-8Zr (TNTZ) alloy that displays the excellent elastic modulus, cellular response, corrosion resistance and antibacterial capability demanded for bone-mimetic materials. The TNTZ alloy exhibited an elastic modulus of 49 GPa, which approximates that of human bones and prevent stress shielding effects. A further anodic oxidation and subsequent post-annealing modification formed a crystalline nanoporous TNTZ oxide layer (NPTNTZO(c)) on the alloy surface, potentially promoting interlocking with the extracellular matrix of bone cells and cell proliferation. Osteoblast viability tests also verified that NPTNTZO(c) enhanced cell growth more significantly than that of flat TNTZ. In addition, potentiodynamic polarization tests in Hanks’ balanced salt solution (HBSS) revealed that both TNTZ and NPTNTZO(c) exhibited better corrosion resistance than commercial pure titanium. Finally, NPTNTZO(c) reinforced with silver nanoparticles (NPTNTZO(c)/AgNPs) intensified the antibacterial efficiency against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli for 8 h with antibacterial efficiencies of 87.82%, 97.68%, and 93.90%, respectively, facilitating infection prevention during surgery and recovery stages.