Effect of laser surface texturing on wettability, protein adsorption, and calcium deposition of Ti6Al4 V alloy

Laser surface modification of Ti6Al4 V alloy plays an essential role in improving its bioactivity and fitness for bone implant applications. In the present work, different surface structures, including untextured, linear groove, crisscross, and wavy groove patterns, were created and assessed for surface roughness, wettability, protein adsorption, and calcium mineralisation. The textured samples exhibited higher roughness than the untextured specimens, with the wavy-textured surface showing the highest roughness. Contact angle measurements showed a change from hydrophilic to superhydrophobic behaviour, strongly influenced by surface topography. Protein adsorption studies indicated enhanced biomolecular interaction on textured surfaces, with the wavy pattern demonstrating the highest adsorption. Similarly, calcium mineralisation results showed a substantial increase in calcium deposition for textured samples, with the wavy surface exhibiting superior behaviour. The enhanced biological response is attributed to the combined effect of hierarchical roughness and modified contact angle.