Deposition of ZnO containing coatings on Ti6Al4V alloy surface using micro-arc oxidation to achieve antimicrobial properties

Micro-Arc Oxidation (MAO) using a pulsed unipolar source of voltage is a unique method of surface treatment technology. The MAO method was used to enhance the bioactivity of the titanium alloy surface and to incorporate of ZnO into the MAO coating, to achieve antibacterial properties. The Ti6Al4V alloy coating layer with ZnO was characterised using scanning electron microscopy and an energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer. Biocompatibility was studied using Human mesenchymal stem cells. Metabolic activity was assessed using an MTŠ assay. Although the surface coating containing ZnO could be a promising modification of the Ti6Al4V alloy, the pilot test proved it to be relatively highly cytotoxic to a human mesenchymal stem cell, a key cell type involved in the connective tissue healing process.