Modulating the corrosion performance of magnesium alloys through hydroxyapatite coating.

• Laser treatment can modulate the morphology, thickness and density of HA coating. • Microstructures and thin oxide layers promote nucleation and deposition of HA. • Adhesion strength of HA coating to Mg alloy substrate is 31.86 ± 1.71 MPa. • Coating effectively reduces the corrosion rate of magnesium alloys to 0.146 mm/y. • Coating with good biological activity can promotes osteoblasts proliferation. Magnesium and its alloys have attracted attention as medical bone implant materials due to their excellent biocompatibility, bone-like mechanical properties, and degradability. However, the clinical application of magnesium is limited by the fact that it corrodes too quickly in body fluids, leading to premature mechanical failure. Surface hydroxyapatite coatings can significantly reduce the initial corrosion of magnesium alloys, but suffer from the problems of non-dense coatings, many defects and poor adhesion strength to the substrate. In this study, we propose femtosecond laser construction of microemulsion cone structures on the surface of magnesium alloys to significantly enhance the densities and thicknesses of the coatings, as well as to improve the bonding strength of the coatings to the substrate, which ultimately reduces the corrosion rate. The corrosion rate of modified hydroxyapatite coating in simulated body fluid is only 0.146 mm/y, and it has the ability to rapidly induce hydroxyapatite mineralization and promote osteoblast proliferation. Furthermore, the surface morphology, chemical composition, and wettability of the laser-modified Mg alloy were analyzed. It was demonstrated that the microstructure and thin oxide layer formed on the surface of the magnesium alloy could provide more sites for HA nucleation, which promotes the deposition and growth of HA and the existence of a mechanical interlocking effect with the substrate. The application of femtosecond laser surface modification represents a rapid and efficacious approach to enhance the quality of hydroxyapatite coatings. This method has successfully controlled the corrosion rate of magnesium alloys with excellent biocompatibility, thereby overcoming potential obstacles to the use of magnesium alloys in clinical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]