Akermanite-based coatings grown by pulsed laser deposition for metallic implants employed in orthopaedics

The aim of the present paper is to develop ceramic thin films by laser ablation in order to improve the biological behaviour of metallic implants dedicated to hard tissue restoration. The composition of the coatings was selected within SiO2–P2O5–CaO–MgO–ZnO–CaF2 system, while their processing has gone through two stages: target preparation via a wet chemistry approach and films deposition through a physical deposition method, on titanium substrates. The characteristics of the final layered structures were evaluated by X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and selected area electron diffraction. In vitro investigation techniques were employed for the bioactivity and biocompatibility assessment. The results indicated the growth of nanostructured akermanite-based thin films with an excellent bioactivity and a good effect on stem-type cells, which validates the suitability of such structures for medical implant applications.