Biocompatibility assessments of 316L stainless steel substrates coated by Fe-based bulk metallic glass through electro-spark deposition method

Abstract

Metallic materials made of rather precious alloys are widely used in orthopedic surgery, circulatory system, and dentistry fields. Stainless steel coated by alloys with a variety of physiochemical properties can be an excellent candidate for making economical devices with superior biomedical compatibility. In this study, a Fe- based metallic glass alloy was applied on 316L stainless steel (316L SS) using the electro-spark deposition (ESD) method as an economic and easy handling method. The coated samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). It was found that a metallic glass coating was uniformly formed on the stainless steel substrate. Cytocompatibility (MTT assay), hemocompatibility, and cell attachment assays of the fabricated biomaterials were carried out using bone and connective tissue cell lines. The samples with optimized coating were shown to exert lower cytotoxicity, better cell attachment, and higher blood compatibility than the stainless steel substrates.

Keywords: Biocompatibility; Biomaterial; Electro spark deposition; Iron-based metallic glass; Metallic glass coating.