In-vitro bioactivity, biocorrosion and antibacterial activity of silicon integrated hydroxyapatite/chitosan composite coating on 316 L stainless steel implants

A simple and effective ultrasonication method was applied for the preparation of 0, 0.4, 0.8, 1.0 and 1.6 wt% silicon substituted hydroxyapatite (HAp) (SH). The Ca/P ratio of the synthesised SH nanoparticles were in the range of 1.58–1.70. Morphological changes were noticed in HAp with respect to the amount of Si from 0 to 1.6 wt%. The morphology of the particles changed from spherical shape to rod-like morphology with respect to the amount of Si which was confirmed using transmission electron microscopy. X-ray diffraction studies confirm the formation of phase pure SH nanoparticles without any secondary phase. Chitosan (CTS) blended SH nanocomposites coating on surgical grade 316 L stainless steel (316 L SS) implant was made by spin coating technique. The surface of the coated implant was characterised using scanning electron microscopy which confirms the uniform coating without cracks and pores. The increased corrosion resistance of the 1.6 wt% of SH/CTS-coated SS implant in the simulated body fluid (SBF) indicates the long-term biostability of SH composite-coated ceramics in vitro than the 0 wt% SH/CTS. The testing of SH/CTS nanocomposites with gram-positive and gram-negative bacterial strains confirms that the antibacterial ability improves with the higher substitution of Si. In addition, formation of bone-like apatite layer on the SH/CTS-coated implant in SBF was studied through SEM analysis and it confirms the ability to increase the HAp formation on the surface of 1.0 wt% SH/CTS-coated 316 L SS implant.