Effect of current density on the morphology and electrochemical properties of nanotubular TiO2 for implant applications

Abstract

This study focuses on investigating the influence of current density (i) (A/dm ^2 ) at values of 0.5 A dm ^−2 , 1.0 A dm ^−2 1.5 A dm ^−2 , and 2.0 A/dm ^2 on the surface structure of nanotubular titanium dioxide (TiO _2 ) in an ethylene glycol solvent containing a certain amount of fluoride salt and water. The surface structure observed via FESEM images reveals that different current densities yield different nanotubular TiO _2 structures, predominantly in the form of anatase TiO _2 crystals. EIS and CV measurements indicate that at a current density of i = 1.5 A dm ^−2 , the nanotubular TiO _2 layer exhibits corrosion resistance performance up to 90.06% compared to the bare titanium (Ti) samples. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) demonstrates enhanced attachment of BHK cells on anodized titanium surfaces compared to unmodified controls. These findings suggest that nanotubular TiO _2 presents a biocompatible material with promising potential for biomedical implant applications.

Keywords

• titanium implant
• TiO2 nanotubes
• anodization
• current density
• cell attachment