Mechanical, biocorrosion, and antibacterial properties of novel Zr-Ti-Ag/Ag multilayer composite thin film for biomedical applications

In biomedical applications, the primary challenges of conventional biomaterials include mismatched Young's modulus, inadequate physiological corrosion resistance, release of cytotoxic ions, and inherent lack of antimicrobial activity. Thin film metallic glasses (TFMGs) address some of these but still face high Young's modulus and limited antibacterial efficacy. This study investigated the microstructure, mechanical properties, biocorrosion resistance, and antibacterial performance of newly-developed ZrTiAg/Ag multilayer composite thin film metallic glasses (MCTFMGs), synthesized by direct current magnetron sputtering. The results exhibited that the multilayers possessed well-modulated structures with the alternating polycrystalline Ag layer and the amorphous Zr₆₂Ti₂₇Ag₁₁ layer. Introducing the Ag layer appropriately enhanced the mechanical characteristics without weakening the biocorrosion resistance and antibacterial properties of the MCTFMGs. The ZrTiAg/Ag-20 MCTFMG showed a minimum Young's modulus (105.1 GPa) and excellent biocorrosion resistance (corrosion current density (i_corr) of 2.96 × 10⁻⁸ A/cm² in 0.9 wt% NaCl solution, 2.02 × 10⁻⁸ A/cm² in Hank's solution, and 1.27 × 10⁻⁸ A/cm² in PBS solution). Besides, the contact angle measurements (90.22°) and antimicrobial assays (antibacterial rate of 99.98 % against E. coli) revealed that hydrophobic ZrTiAg/Ag-20 MCTFMG also possessed significant antibacterial properties. This finding makes these MCTFMGs potential candidates for medical devices or implants featuring antibacterial surfaces. 

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