Hydrothermal treatment of etched titanium: A potential surface nano-modification technique for enhanced biocompatibility.

Nanoengineering the topology of titanium (Ti) implants has the potential to enhance cytocompability and biocompatibility properties as implant surfaces play a decisive role in determining clinical success. Despite developments in various surface engineering strategies, antibacterial properties of Ti still need to be enhanced. Here a facile, cost-effective hydrothermal route was used to develop nano-patterned structures on a Ti surface. Changing hydrothermal treatment parameters such as temperature, pressure, and time, resulted in various topographies, crystal phases, and hydrophobicity. Specifically, hydrothermal treatment performed at 225 °C for 5 h, presented a novel topography with nanoflower features, exhibited no mammalian cell cytotoxicity for a time period of 14 days, and increased calcium deposition from osteoblasts. Treated samples also demonstrated antibacterial properties (without resorting to the use of antibiotics) against Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus. In conclusion, hydrothermal oxidation on an etched Ti surface can generate surface properties that have excellent prospects for the biomedical field.