Enhancing Antibacterial Properties of Titanium Implants through Covalent Conjugation of Self-Assembling Fmoc-Phe-Phe Dipeptide on Titania Nanotubes

Bacterial infections and biofilm formation are significant challenges for medical implants. While titanium nanotube engineering improves biocompatibility, it cannot prevent bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation. Optimizing the biomaterial's surface chemistry is vital for its desired functioning in the biological environment. This study demonstrates the covalent conjugating of the self-assembling dipeptide N-fluorenylmethyloxycarbonyl-diphenylalanine (Fmoc-FF) onto titanium nanotube surfaces (TiNTs) without altering the topography. Fmoc-FF peptides, in conjugation with TiNTs, can inhibit biofilm formation, eradicate pre-existing biofilms, and kill bacteria. This functionalization imparts antibacterial properties to the surface while retaining beneficial nanotube topography, synergistically enhancing bioactivity. Surface characterization by XPS, FT-IR, EDS, and SEM confirmed the successful functionalization. Bacterial adhesion experiments showed a significantly improved antibacterial activity of the functionalized TiNT surfaces. This study opens future possibilities for associating biomedical applications such as cell-cell interactions, tissue engineering, and controlled drug delivery of multifunctional self-assembling short peptides with implant materials through surface functionalization.