Antimicrobial Properties of TiNbSn Alloys Anodized in a Sulfuric Acid Electrolyte
Yu Mori,
Satoko Fujimori,
Hiroaki Kurishima,
Hiroyuki Inoue,
Keiko Ishii,
Maya Kubota,
Kazuyoshi Kawakami,
Naoko Mori,
Toshimi Aizawa,
Naoya Masahashi
Affiliations
Yu Mori
Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8574, Japan
Satoko Fujimori
Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8574, Japan
Hiroaki Kurishima
Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8574, Japan
Hiroyuki Inoue
Department of Materials Science, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka Metropolitan University, 1-1 Gakuen-machi, Naka-ku, Sakai 599-8531, Japan
Keiko Ishii
Department of Medical Microbiology, Mycology, and Immunology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
Maya Kubota
Graduate School of Engineering, Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8577, Japan
Kazuyoshi Kawakami
Department of Medical Microbiology, Mycology, and Immunology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
Naoko Mori
Department of Radiology, Akita University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1-1 Hondo, Akita 010-8543, Japan
Toshimi Aizawa
Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8574, Japan
Naoya Masahashi
Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8577, Japan
TiNbSn alloy is a high-performance titanium alloy which is biosafe, strong, and has a low Young’s modulus. TiNbSn alloy has been clinically applied as a material for orthopedic prosthesis. Anodized TiNbSn alloys with acetic and sulfuric acid electrolytes have excellent biocompatibility for osseointegration. Herein, TiNbSn alloy was anodized in a sulfuric acid electrolyte to determine the antimicrobial activity. The photocatalytic activities of the anodic oxide alloys were investigated based on their electronic band structure and crystallinity. In addition, the cytotoxicity of the anodized TiNbSn alloy was evaluated using cell lines of the osteoblast and fibroblast lineages. The antimicrobial activity of the anodic oxide alloy was assessed according to the ISO 27447 using methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli. The anodic oxide comprised rutile and anatase titanium dioxide (TiO2) and exhibited a porous microstructure. A well-crystallized rutile TiO2 phase was observed in the anodized TiNbSn alloy. The methylene blue degradation tests under ultraviolet illumination exhibited photocatalytic activity. In antimicrobial tests, the anodized TiNbSn alloy exhibited robust antimicrobial activities under ultraviolet illumination for all bacterial species, regardless of drug resistance. Therefore, the anodized TiNbSn alloy can be used as a functional biomaterial with low Young’s modulus and excellent antimicrobial activity.
