Silk Fibroin-Based Hybrid Nanostructured Coatings for Titanium Implantable Surfaces Modification

• Main Authors: Simona Popescu, Maria-Elena Zarif, Cristina Dumitriu, Camelia Ungureanu, Cristian Pirvu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-05-01
• Series: Coatings
• Subjects: titanium; TiO₂ nanotubes; silk fibroin; CeO₂ nanoparticles; antibacterial effect
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6412/10/6/518

This study proposes the development of new architectures that combine nanostructured titanium surface and biodegradable polymers as a promising approach to achieve a better performance after bioactive agent incorporation. The silk fibroin protein that was extracted from silkworm <i>Bombyx mori</i> cocoons is important due to the remarkable characteristics, such as biocompatibility, good mechanical properties, adjustable degradation and drug stabilizing capabilities. The titanium substrate was firstly nanostructurated with TiO₂ nanotubes and then coated with silk fibroin using electrospinning and electrochemical deposition. The deposited silk film ability to become a bioactive implant coating with antibacterial properties after the encapsulation of the active agents such as CeO₂ was investigated. Important features of the new implant coating were analysed: surface properties, electrochemical stability in physiological simulated electrolytes, and antibacterial action against <i>Escherichia coli</i>. The obtained results indicate that silk fibroin bioactive layers are a potential candidate for regenerative medicine.