Title: Antibacterial properties of pure titanium coated with silver nanoparticles

Authors: M.R. Mofarrehi; Seyed Abbas Shojaosadati

Addresses: Nanotechnology Group, Faculty of Material Science and Engineering, Tarbiat Modares University, P.O. Box 14115-143, Tehran, Iran ' Nanotechnology Group, Faculty of Material Science and Engineering, Tarbiat Modares University, P.O. Box 14115-143, Tehran, Iran

Abstract: Dental implants are a safe, medically proven, aesthetic alternative to natural tooth root that are currently widely used; however, the risk of infection after surgical implantation seems to be a main concern. In this research, the pure titanium was coated by silver nanoparticles as antibacterial agent. Titanium oxide layer, in presence of a strong base solution under heat treatment turns into a layer of titanate nanotubes with a porous network structure containing sodium or potassium depending on the treatment solution. The sodium or potassium ions sited in titanate nanotubes on the surface replaced with free silver cations. This chemical process could synthesise AgNPs on titanium on which the antibacterial properties were tested against Staphylococcus aureus and E. coli. The final surface was characterised with SEM and XRD tests. Furthermore, the antibacterial activity of surface treated titanium tested according to standard method and as the results prove silver titanate nanotubes synthesised by KOH solution is more antibacterial than NaOH. It has been also indicated that high concentration of basic solution in hydrothermal treatment has reverse effect on improvement of antibacterial activity.

Keywords: silver nanoparticles; sodium titanate; potassium titanate; dental implants; antibacterial activity; coated titanium; infection; surgical implantation; heat treatment; titanate nanotubes; porous structure; Staphylococcus aureus; E. coli.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNBM.2012.051711

International Journal of Nano and Biomaterials, 2012 Vol.4 No.3/4, pp.281 - 289

Received: 18 Jun 2012
Accepted: 24 Sep 2012
Published online: 22 Nov 2014 *

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