Antimicrobial Nano-Ag/Cu Composite Coatings on Pure Ti Implants by Magnetron Sputtering Following Pretreatment for Dental Applications

Pure Ti is widely utilized in dental implant applications due to its exceptional biocompatibility. However, its lack of antibacterial properties poses a limitation. To address this constraint, nanocomposite coatings with novel topographic microstructure and Ag, Cu nanoparticles are introduced onto the surface of pure Ti implants through sandblasting, acid etching, and hydrothermal treatment and magnetron sputtering. In addition, polished Ti substrates, Ti substrates subjected to sandblasting, acid etching, and hydrothermal treatment, as well as Ti samples individually magnetron sputtered with Ag and Cu, are fabricated and investigated. A systematic comparison between those samples is performed to investigate the influence of substrate surface microstructure and element composition on physicochemical characteristics and antibacterial performance of Ti implants. The results demonstrate that sandblasting, acid etching, and alkali heat treatment significantly enhance the surface roughness of pure Ti, thereby improving its wettability. Nano-Ag and nano-Cu particles are deposited via magnetron sputtering technology, resulting in excellent antibacterial properties. Compared to the single-layer coating, the nano-composite coating exhibited superior antibacterial activity despite releasing lower concentrations of Ag⁺ and Cu²⁺. Therefore, nanocomposite Ag- and Cu-based coatings fabricated by sandblasting, acid etching, hydrothermal treatment, and magnetron sputtering, effectively enhance the antibacterial properties of Ti implants for dental applications.