Filip Maciąg

Former visiting PhD student (AGH University of Science and Technology, Kraków, Poland)

Development of electrophoretic co-deposition of mesoporous sol-gel glass and zein to fabricate composite coatings for biomedical applications

 

Supervisor in Poland: Prof. Tomasz Moskalewicz

Supervisor in Erlangen: Prof. Aldo R. Boccaccini

Among the metallic biomaterials that require good biocompatibility and high electrochemical corrosion resistance, titanium and its alloys are distinguished. However, titanium biomaterials are prone to the formation of biofilms on their surface and have poor osseointegration properties. Therefore, by fabricating bioactive and antibacterial coatings, it is possible to reduce the influence of surface disadvantages. During these studies composite coatings of sol-gel glasses and zein are being developed by electrophoretic deposition (EPD) to improve the biological properties of titanium biomaterials, following the approach of combining biopolymers and inorganic fillers established in previous collaborations of the two groups [1]. The fabricated coatings are characterized by investigating their adhesion to substrates, microstructure, surface properties and biological properties. These studies are carried out in the context of the collaboration between the FAU Institute of Biomaterials and the AGH University of Science and Technology within NCN-DFG Beethoven Classic 3 research project.

[1] T. Moskalewicz, et al., Hydroxyapatite/sodium alginate coatings electrophoretically deposited on titanium substrates: microstructure and properties, Applied Surface Science 540 (2021) 148353.