Bioactive Atomic Layer Deposition of TiO2 on Polyetheretherketone

Abstract: Structure and functionality of surfaces play a paramount role in a variety of medical applications and are therefore ultimately crucial for the health of the patient, for example after surgery. Prominent examples are the ingrowth behaviour and biocompatibility of implants. TiO2 thin films were deposited on the orthopedic implant material polyetheretherketone (PEEK) by plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) and characterized for their ability to enhance the osseointegrative properties. The results reveal that the osteogenic properties of the TiO2 thin film are comparable to those of hydroxyapatite, and thus bioactive properties of PEEK implants are improved by TiO2 thin films deposited with PEALD. This paper summarises the most important results of a publication of Blendinger et al. in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces [1]. [1] Blendinger, Felix; Seitz, Daniel; Ottenschläger, Andreas; Fleischer, Monika; Bucher, Volker (2021): Atomic Layer Deposition of Bioactive TiO2 Thin Films on Polyetheretherketone for Orthopedic Implants. In: ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces. DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c17990.