Advancing titanium-based surfaces via micro-arc oxidation with solid substance incorporation: A systematic review

Despite possessing numerous superior properties, titanium, and its alloys exhibit inadequacies in terms of tribocorrosion, bioactivity, and antimicrobial characteristics. In recent years, there has been a rapid increase in research focusing on micro-arc oxidation (MAO) surface treatments to enhance these properties. In the traditional MAO approach, researchers commonly investigate the introduction of additional functionalities to the surface through ion doping. However, over the past decade, studies have indicated that the inclusion of solid substances, either as substitutes for or in conjunction with ion doping, can provide further advantages in terms of multifunctionality. Therefore, this review comprehensively and systematically examines the characteristics of solid substances used during MAO, their incorporation mechanisms, and their influence on resulting biological and degradation behaviors, as well as properties such as photocatalytic activity, magnetic features, high-temperature oxidation resistance, electrical insulation, and thermal shock resistance. This review showed that the integration of solid substances during MAO represents a promising avenue for achieving multifunctional surface enhancements in titanium and its alloys. This review highlights the diverse range of properties and behaviors influenced by these solid substances, offering insights for future research and applications in the field of surface engineering and biomaterials science.