Real-time monitoring of Ti-Nb-Ta-Zr and commercially pure Ti interaction with H2O2 using atomic force microscopy and atomic emission spectroelectrochemistry

This study offers a new approach to analyze surface behavior of titanium biomaterials during their exposure to the H2O2-enriched fluid which simulates post-operative inflammatory conditions. In this work in situ AFM and AESEC tests were exploited to study the origin of initial inflammatory-induced degradation for commercially pure Ti (CP-Ti) and Ti-29Nb-13Ta-4.6Zr (TNTZ) alloy. Overall results indicate that initial interaction between H2O2 and TNTZ surface results only in dissolution of the alloy, while for CP-Ti both oxide formation and dissolution give important contribution to the degradation process. Proposed methodology yields insight into the origin of corrosion properties registered during standard electrochemical tests that are used to evaluate biomaterials.