According to Guangming.com: The Russian National Research University of Technology and other Russian scholars have developed a new technology that can make titanium alloy, one of the key materials for advanced surgery, produce antibacterial effects. Researchers claim that implants processed according to the new method will significantly speed up and promote wound recovery. Related research results were published in the journal "Colloid and Surface B: Biological Interface".
The mechanical performance and recovery ability of damaged bones will decrease significantly with age, and this damage requires long-term treatment. The use of implants made of unmodified metals and alloys may cause complications, which may require a second surgical operation afterward. Materials that can inhibit the activity of bacteria can contribute to safer and more reliable implant operations in the body. For this reason, Russian scholars have developed a method for spraying antibacterial coatings on Ti-Zr-Nb, one of the titanium alloys.
Experiments have shown that treatment according to the new method can completely inhibit the growth of E. coli on the surface of the implant. At a low dose of silver output (approximately 0.037 mg/L), it is completely safe for the body and achieves a significant antibacterial effect. Researchers claim that the "strike" against bacteria is carried out by silver ions. Scientists chemically synthesized nanoparticles that released them in a complex alcohol solution, which made them only about 10 nanometers in size. Thanks to this, silver is deposited in the pores of the material to a depth of up to 60 nanometers, which greatly improves the durability and antibacterial effect of the coating.
