Morphology and chemical characterization of Ti surfaces modified for biomedical applications

Abstract

The aim of the present work is to characterize in detail the chemical composition and morphology of titanium surfaces subjected to various environments. Modifications consisted of exposure of Ti to acidic, alkaline or polymer solutions. Such modifications result in chemical and/or morphological changes in the Ti surface. Special attention has been given to identifying the factors influencing cell adhesion and growth.

SEM examinations provided morphological characterization of the Ti samples. Surface analytical techniques such as AES or XPS combined with Ar⁺ ion sputtering allowed examination of the chemical properties of the Ti surface after chemical pretreatments and investigating the chemical composition of the Ti oxide layer. Raman spectroscopy investigations allowed determination of the crystalline phases of the Ti-oxide layers and characterization of the dextran-modified surface.

The results show large differences in the morphology of Ti pretreated with different procedures whereas only minor differences in the chemistry of the surfaces were found. High-resolution Auger investigations have revealed that all the chemical modifications of Ti surfaces resulted in the formation of a titanium oxide layer. XPS confirmed that TiO₂ is the main component of the chemically modified Ti surface. The Raman spectroscopy investigations showed that the titanium surface with a dextran coating is rich in hydroxyl groups. All the surfaces investigated exhibit a hydrophilic character. The possible influence of various surface features on surface biocompatibility is discussed.