Corrosion Behavior of Bactericidal Surfaces Based on Silver and Copper Ion Implantation

Titanium is a commonly used material in biomedical applications due to its excellent biocompatibility and mechanical properties. In addition, the surface incorporation of metal ions with bactericidal behavior proves to be very interesting in preventing bacterial colonization in biomedical titanium implants. This study investigates the corrosion resistance and stability of a series of Ti substrates implanted with Ag and Cu ions, as well as a combination of both. Characterization results indicate that the dense native oxide layer naturally present in Ti may contain more defects in the implanted materials due to the implantation process, especially when Ag is implanted. The material co-implanted with Ag and Cu presents an outer oxide layer with Ag and Cu nanoparticles which are the source of ions that can act as bactericidal agents. Finally, the study shows that the implantation of Ag and/or Cu ions does not lead to a deterioration of the corrosion resistance of Ti under simulated physiological conditions.