Title: Nano-tribological characterisation and biocompatibility of antibacterial coating for biomedical application

Authors: Omar Hussain; Sheikh Shahid Saleem

Addresses: Mechanical Engineering Department, National Institute of Technology Srinagar, Kashmir-190006, India ' Mechanical Engineering Department, National Institute of Technology Srinagar, Kashmir-190006, India

Abstract: Surface modification strategies are becoming more common to enhance the biological properties of bone implant applications. In this work, multilayer RF-magnetron sputtered Ti/TaN coatings deposited on Ti6Al4V were investigated. Biocompatibility, antibacterial properties, and coating effectiveness were assessed. It was observed that the coating layers played an important role in biocompatibility. Energy-dispersive-spectroscopy confirms the presence of the coating elements. In-vitro tests with HCT-116 cells showed greater viability (survival rate of 96.62%) on the coated sample. Critical loads associated with coating failure were obtained using FESEM micrographs. The cohesive failure began at L_C1 (72.2997 mN) whereas the critical normal load threshold for the thin film coating was obtained at L_C2 (291.3407 mN). The results of this work indicate the viability of deposited coating for implant application.

Keywords: biomaterials; thin film; RF magnetron sputtering; biomedical.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSURFSE.2025.149460

International Journal of Surface Science and Engineering, 2025 Vol.19 No.4, pp.318 - 331

Received: 09 Oct 2024
Accepted: 13 Nov 2024
Published online: 01 Nov 2025 *

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