Electrophoretic deposition (EPD) of zein/bioactive glass composite coatings doped with F and Cu on titanium for biomedical applications

Coatings based on the natural polymer zein with the addition of SiO2-CaO-P2O5 bioactive glass (BG) particles doped with fluoride (BG-F) or a combination of fluoride and copper (BG-F-Cu) ions were deposited on titanium by electrophoretic deposition (EPD). The addition of BG improved the scratch resistance of the coatings. Additionally, the ion substitution in the BG structure did not affect the bioactivity. All composite coatings showed significantly improved viability of osteoblast-like MG-63 cells and enhanced antibacterial activity against Gramnegative E. coli after 24 h of incubation. Moreover, the presence of BG-F-Cu endowed antibacterial properties against Gram-positive S. aureus. The obtained results prove that the prepared coatings can be beneficial for the functionalization of orthopaedic and dental implants.